Toronto Star's parent company was just bought out -- buyers are donors to Maxime Bernier and the Conservative Party, reports suggest

SOURCE:  North99.org, 2020-05-27

Torstar, the company that publishes the Toronto Star, has agreed to be sold to NordStar Capital. The announcement of the $52 million deal came on Tuesday.

NordStar Capital is run by two Toronto businessmen, Jordan Bitove and Paul Rivett, who plan on taking the media company private. While the entrepreneurs vow to maintain the "Atkinson principles" which have made the Star a progressive voice in Canada's media landscape, there is reason to be wary.

Bitove and Rivett appear to have a history of making political contributions to Conservative political parties, according to a Canadaland report.

Canadaland found that someone by the name of Jordan Bitove contributed $1,650 to the Conservative Party of Canada in February 2020. The name is also listed in the Elections Ontario database for a $1,222 contribution to the leadership campaign of Christine Elliot, now Ontario's Health Minister.

Paul Rivett, according to Canadaland, is also listed in these databases as a regular donor to Conservative politicians. Since 2014, Paul Rivett has made thousands of dollars in contributions to the Conservative Party of Canada, including a maximum contribution to Maxime Bernier's leadership campaign.

Rivett has also apparently contributed thousands of dollars to the Ontario Progressive Conservatives, including to the leadership campaigns of Doug Ford, Christine Elliot, and Caroline Mulroney, according to the report.

With the control of Torstar falling into the hands of these businessmen, a new chapter starts for the Toronto Star and the 70 other publications owned by the media company.


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