Investigator finds MP violated harassment rules
OTTAWA — A House of Commons investigation has concluded that Calgary MP Darshan Kang violated Parliament’s rules against harassment.
The CBC says an investigator found Kang acted improperly by trying to enter the Ottawa hotel room of a young female staffer who worked in his constituency office in June 2017. The report says the staffer objected and that the MP should have known his actions were unwanted.
The CBC report also says the investigator concluded that some of the staff member’s other allegations could not be substantiated, including that she had been offered money to remain silent about his behaviour.
Kang, a former member of the Alberta legislature who was elected as a Liberal MP in 2015, resigned from the caucus last August after denying the allegations and vowing to clear his name.
Neither Kang nor the complainant responded to requests for comment Friday.
Heather Bradley, a spokeswoman for Speaker Geoff Regan, says the report cannot be released due to privacy concerns.
The House of Commons followed a process adopted in December 2014, which can involve hiring an external investigator to review the facts.
Both the respondent and the complainant can appeal if they are not satisfied with the final report.
The multi-party board of internal economy could get involved should there be a need for remedial measures, but the report would remain confidential.
Since Kang is an Independent MP, then it would be the clerk of the House of Commons who would determine any disciplinary actions.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Kang is no longer a Liberal MP and would otherwise not comment on the case.
“Whether it is this process or others, the Liberal party has no interactions or responsibility over what his next steps are,” Trudeau said in Barrie, Ont.