[3][4] Following the resignation of Gerald Butts,[5] Telford has been acknowledged as holding the highest-ranking position within the Prime Minister's Office and has held critical leadership roles in the 2019 and 2021 Liberal election campaigns.
[6] From 2004 to 2006, Telford was chief of staff to Ontario Education Minister Gerard Kennedy and headed his campaign in the 2006 Liberal Party of Canada leadership election.
[4] On September 21, 2016, The Globe and Mail reported that Telford had charged moving expenses to Canadian taxpayers in the amount of $80,382.55 to relocate her residence from Toronto to Ottawa.
[9] Telford was accused of a conflict of interest when it was revealed that her husband's firm received $84 million to manage the rent assistance aid program.
[11] Following the resignation of Gerald Butts, Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, in February 2019, Telford's political influence over the government and party was significantly elevated.