Letter to TMSU Members – August 25, 2025
Dear TMSU Members,
We are writing to update you on the findings of an independent report we just received on
TMSU’s 2025 March/April election, and to invite students to a Special Members’ Meeting to
discuss the current situation, and next steps.
As many of you know, TMSU’s March/April 2025 elections were declared null and void
following serious allegations and concerns about the process being deeply compromised. The
TMSU Board also voted at that time to suspend a number of Board Members, Executives and
staff, pending further investigation.
Following an extensive eight month investigation, a report from the third party
investigator, MNP has concluded (link to report summary below) that:
- Ali Yousaf, a former TMSU Executive Member from 2017 and 2020, colluded with the Chief
Returning Officer (CRO) to manipulate the 2025 election results in favour of Team Re-Elect; - Members of the 2025 Elections and Referenda Committee colluded to hire the CRO with the
intent of influencing the 2025 election; - TMSU’s Appellate Committee was infiltrated for the purposes of manipulating the election
results, with Yousaf posing as a member to attend at least one virtual meeting; - There have been corroborative statements that Yousaf has placed “his people” into the student
union for many years to benefit financially.
The MNP report states that it is believed that Yousaf continues to plan to influence and
obstruct upcoming election processes.
These are only a few of the conclusions. MNP’s summary of its findings to date, and a
background timeline of events leading up to this report, can be found here.
This investigation looked into extremely serious matters, including allegations of threats of
bodily harm, extortion, corruption, illegal electronic monitoring, corruption of TMSU vendors,
and counter-surveillance of MNP investigators. MNP’s investigation is ongoing and a further
forensic accounting report is expected later this fall.
These conclusions are extremely shocking and disturbing. TMSU has shared details with law
enforcement, who will determine if criminal charges are warranted. TMSU is also deeply
concerned about the disclosure of personal information from anonymous emailers, which is also
within the scope of MNP’s ongoing investigation.
Based on these findings, the TMSU Board has come to the conclusion that the organization
cannot guarantee that the Fall By-election would be free of illegal outside interference. For
that reason, the Board has unanimously voted to table a By-law amendment to postpone the
planned Fall 2025 by-elections to Winter term 2026. This will allow MNP time to complete its
ongoing investigation, so we can better understand the full scope of the illegal activity. It will
also allow TMSU to convene an expert panel to advise on next steps, and help determine the
reforms needed to secure the student union and protect it from future infiltration and corruption
from malicious outside actors.
To the TMSU community – We are sorry.
We know that the trust you have placed in your student union has been broken, and we
acknowledge that real harm has been done to the student community. We regret that the student
union has not been able to serve you, its members, to its full potential. As your elected student
representatives, those of us remaining members of TMSU’s Board are taking full responsibility
and steps to protect the organization. This has been an exceptionally challenging time, but we are
wholly focused on returning TMSU to its true mandate: serving, supporting, and advocating for
you, our student members.
There are nine Board Members remaining whose terms have been extended to ensure that
essential student services funded and run by TMSU can continue with as little interruption as
possible. This includes emergency student grants, the Good Food Centre, The Centre for Safer
Sex and Sexual Violence Support, Equity Centres, Orientation, and Week of Welcome events, as
well as support for student groups and course unions.
Moreover, as promised in our April 9th communication, we have hired new and experienced
Interim Co-Executive Directors who have no connection or prior involvement with TMSU. Sally
Lee and Scott Miller Berry started in their positions in June 2025. They bring a wealth of
knowledge as highly respected not-for-profit leaders and we are confident their experience will
bring stability during this critical transition period and help guide TMSU through this
unprecedented challenge.
The Next Steps
Ultimately, the future of this union is in your hands.
We have called a Special Members Meeting for the evening of September 29 th 2025. MNP
will be in attendance to share their report and you, TMSU’s student members, will have
the opportunity to ask questions and vote on the proposed By-law amendment to postpone
the next TMSU election. In our view, passing this amendment is essential to allow TMSU to
ensure the integrity of our electoral process and remain a truly student-run union.
A number of students have already bravely come forward with information and we have asked
MNP to establish a confidential whistleblower line for current and former staff.
Rebuilding TMSU to its true potential, and achieving both medium and long term stability, will
take time. As we move forward, we want to reaffirm our commitment to you, our student
members. As we said in our April update, our goal is to be as transparent as possible as we work
through this.
As TMSU’s remaining Board members, we know that we have an overarching responsibility to
the Union, and you, our fellow students, to get this right. A strong and independent student union
is a vital institution that must be protected, and its future success lies in an informed and engaged
student body. We urge you to join us at the Members Meeting on Monday, September 29th, 2025.
TMSU Board Conduct Committee Report, 8/25/2025
-TMSU Board of Directors, Monday August 25, 2025
Contact: communications@yourtmsu.ca with any questions.