A municipal council member in Clarington, Ontario, has been charged with criminal offenses related to alleged threats made in a voicemail concerning a potential mayoral candidate, according to the police. Councilor Corinna Traill has denied making the threats, attributing the voicemail to artificial intelligence technology. Peterborough police announced the arrest of the Ward 3 councilor on Wednesday, charging her with two counts of uttering threats. Traill was released pending a court appearance scheduled for January.
In a social media post from September, former mayoral candidate and retired police officer Tom Dingwall claimed that Traill left him a voicemail in August instructing him to stay out of the upcoming mayoral race to allow her friend to participate freely. Dingwall alleged that the message included threats of harm to him and his wife if he did not comply. Dingwall expressed relief at the charges, stating that the situation had affected his family and emphasized the importance of standing against such behavior. He called for Traill to resign from her council position.
Traill refrained from commenting to CBC News, citing the legal nature of the matter. However, in a previous statement in September, she asserted that she did not leave the voicemail and mentioned the involvement of artificial intelligence technology in the creation of the message. Traill expressed willingness to cooperate with the investigation to establish the truth and ensure community confidence in the process.
Clarington Mayor Adrian Foster released a statement acknowledging the arrest and emphasized the importance of allowing the justice system to handle the case’s outcome. He reassured residents that the council remains dedicated to serving the community and refrained from further comments due to the ongoing legal proceedings.