Council candidate apologizes for taking opponent's pamphlet from door

A man running for Ottawa city council is apologizing to another candidate for a "lapse in judgment" that was caught on camera.

David Hill issued the apology to fellow Barrhaven West candidate TaayoSimmonds late Wednesday afternoon, hours after Simmondsposted video footage of Hill on Facebook and Twitter and 12 days before voters go to the polls on Oct. 24.

The video, dated Sept. 21, shows Hill approaching the front door of a house, grabbing a Simmondscampaign pamphlet, dropping it to the ground and leaving some of his own campaign material behind.

Simmonds told CBCNews he wrestledwith whether to release the footage publicly afterreceiving it from the homeowner.

"My concern was that mycampaign or I would be just kind of associated with this incident," Simmonds said.

But what happened was wrong, he added.

"It's justdirty politics. But I think the bigger thing is we're putting our names forward to represent the community andso I just think to do that when you think nobody's looking but you're running for a very public job ...I just don't think it's a good look."

'A lapse in judgment'

CBC News reached out to Hill for comment late Wednesday afternoon.

Simmonds said he received a written apology from Hill at 4:48 p.m ET. Hill's campaign team also shared the apology with CBC News.

"I want to offer my sincere apology for my lapse in judgment," Hill wrote Simmonds. "I have always strived to ensure that my entire campaign team and I remain focused on the needs of the residents of Barrhaven and that we refrain from engaging in any form of personal attacks or disinformation and conduct ourselves with the utmost integrity.

"In this particular incident, I failed to live up to those standards, and I apologize unreservedly."

In a subsequent tweet, Hill extended his apology to the residents of Barrhaven West.

"The other day when I was canvassing, I removed and dropped to the ground my opponent's flyer. This was wrong," the tweet read.

'Change the tone at city hall'

Simmonds, a first-time council candidate, said it's the first complaint he's received about an incident like the one involving Hill, though he added he has had to deal with "an incredible amount" of vandalism andelection signtheft.

"When I did make the decision to run, I understood that these types of things can happen," Simmonds said. "This is part of the reason why I'm running is I want to change the tone at city hall where we don't have these types of headlines."

Simmonds said he senta complaint about Hill to the city clerk on Friday.