The premier of Ontario has been quietly funnelling over one million dollars per month to a powerhouse Washington law firm with deep ties to U.S. political circles for advice on how to handle the trade war.

Premier Doug Ford hired Hogan Lovells U.S. LLP for “advice on U.S. and international law, regulations and policies concerning Canada-U.S. trade issues including U.S. legal and regulatory advice involving public relations matters,” as reported by Blacklock’s.

.@OnGov quietly hires $1M/month US trade lawyers for help on tariffs even as @FordNation publicly praises PM's negotiating skills: "We need to work as Team Canada." https://t.co/1KLOAxhDqX #cdnpoli #onpoli @GAC_Corporate @MarkJCarney pic.twitter.com/m1LP6ntAoM

— Blacklock's Reporter (@mindingottawa) November 20, 2025

As a global giant with 2,800 lawyers, the firm has essentially been hired to shape how Canada is seen in the U.S. as the trade dispute heats up.

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Documents shared by Blacklock’s reveal that the Ontario government, in just the first partial month, was billed US$762,779 — roughly $1.06 million Canadian — for this “advice” on October 25.

And that’s only the legal tab.

That same month, the Ford government also spent $75 million on a propaganda ad campaign in the United States, meant to sway American public opinion on tariffs. That money was spent while the premier was simultaneously insisting Ottawa had everything under control.

Rogue Ontario ad pull gives Premier Ford amnesia

After being told by Prime Minister Carney to yank his $75-million U.S. ad campaign, Doug Ford claims he “has a different recollection” of events.

Premier Doug Ford spent $75 million on the backs of Ontario taxpayers to run a… pic.twitter.com/GuWr2Q2iL9

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) November 5, 2025

This is the same Doug Ford who told reporters that he thinks Prime Minister Mark Carney was doing an “incredible job.”

"I don't even know if he knows what he's doing tomorrow morning": Doug Ford speaks on Donald Trump's "unpredictability" and claims Mark Carney is doing an "incredible" job. pic.twitter.com/xc7XIdJthF

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) August 18, 2025

Ontario isn’t alone in bypassing Ottawa’s supposedly “deep” expertise. The Council of the Federation is paying a separate Washington lobbying firm US$85,000 a month to lobby the Trump administration.

The Canadian Embassy in Washington also retained its own U.S.-based advisor earlier this year. Signal Group Consulting LLC of Washington was contracted to guide communication strategies with Americans, including “a two-hour session on right-wing media and messaging” with a “question-and-answer segment,” to the tune of US$2,000 per hour.

All of this is in addition to Canada’s official foreign affairs department, which already has 12,800 staff, a $7.6 billion budget, and consulates or trade offices in 14 U.S. cities.

All of this raises a simple question: if Prime Minister Carney and Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand are doing such a great job, why are provinces and the Canadian embassy paying millions to American insiders for advice Ottawa should already have?

Instead of answers, taxpayers are funding a discombobulated attempt at synchronized “Team Canada” talking points and a very expensive shadow operation running parallel to the one already financed in the open.