Lately, it’s been close to impossible to go anywhere in Toronto without running into a campaign sign for Edward Gong, a fringe candidate, media mogul and businessman with a troubled past. His signs claim he will “rescue Toronto,” and are emblazoned with “#44” – his number on the mayoral ballot, which features an eye-watering 102 candidates.
It’s a surprising amount of publicity for a candidate with a publicly checkered past. In 2021, Gong, who also goes by the name Gong Xiao Hua, pleaded guilty to offences relating to the operation of a pyramid scheme involving pharmaceutical supplements.
“Although Mr. Gong has no interest in re-visiting this difficult chapter of his recent life, in so far as this matter was public and in so far as this matter destroyed the businesses that he founded, he understands that the citizenry will be curious about what happened, and he feels that it is his public duty to be transparent and open about what has occurred,” said Polly Miller, Gong’s campaign manager, in an email.