Richmond councillor reprimanded over text requests for personal pictures

Michael Diggdon, a municipal councillor in Richmond County, N.S., has been disciplined for breaching the municipality's code of conduct after asking a woman who was seeking help with housing to text him personal pictures while he was attending a council meeting.

Last year, Jessica Forgeron had been living in Amherst, but wanted to return home to Cape Breton. She was put on a waiting list for public housing and was advised to get help from Diggdon.

Forgeron said she sent him a text. Instead of helping, he asked her for a picture. She complied.

"When I sent the picture of my new car he said, 'No. Not of the car. Of you,'" Forgeron said.

She pressed Diggdon for help with her housing application, but the councillor stopped responding, she said.

Long-standing history: Diggdon

Diggdon admits that happened, but said it was based on a longstanding history with Forgeron.

"When you had the relationship on or off for the last 10 years and it was OK, then all of a sudden for it not to be OK, if the other party isn't aware of that, well then that's when trouble hits the fan," he said.

The first-term councillor for District 2 said his mistake was exchanging personal texts while conducting public business.

"I sent a text from council chambers to somebody that, I guess, we had a over 10-year relationship ... and she felt at that one time it was inappropriate," Diggdon said.

"I guess for the last 10 years it wasn't, but this one time it was.

He said his personal life "got hauled" into his councillor life. He said "that's unfortunate because anybody who knows me knows I'm dedicated to my community."

Forgeron said Diggdon was once married to a member of her family. He and her father had also been business associates, she said.

That's why she was advised to approach him for help with her housing issue.

The two have a history, Forgeron said, but she didn't want to talk about the past.

She considered going to the police, but was advised there wasn't much they could do, she said.

"I don't want to get into it," Forgeron said.

"I very much don't think he would ever want me to get into it and I think that bringing it to light now, in this way, was the best that I could do to stand up about it."

'It was never OK,' says Forgeron

However, Diggdon was wrong about one thing, Forgeron said. "It wasn't always OK, that's the thing. It was never OK."

Richmond County Warden Amanda Mombourquette said the municipality conducted an investigation after receiving the complaint and found Diggdon had breached the code of conduct.

He failed to observe high standards of morality and integrity in office and of professionalism with a member of the public, she said.

As a result, Diggdon cannot attend council or committee meetings during April. He must write a letter of apology to Forgeron and take sensitivity training.

He does not lose any council pay and can continue to represent constituents.

"It was a bit of an unprecedented ... situation for us," said Mombourquette.

"I would venture to say maybe for most municipalities. I'm not sure if any other municipalities have had to deal with something like this, but of course we wanted to take it very seriously."

The code of conduct allows council to discipline members, but it doesn't provide the authority to remove a councillor who has been elected to public office.

Diggdon to comply

"As a municipal council, our role is really to hold municipal councillors … and each other to account in terms of our work in representing the constituents … and in terms of the way we conduct ourselves at the council table, and so really that is where our authority lies," Mombourquette said.

Diggdon said he would comply with the disciplinary measures, but felt they were a little harsh.

Forgeron said the penalty felt like "a slap on the wrist," but said she is relieved that someone listened to her and took action.