Meredith again told to resign
Senators may discuss possible sanction over affair with teen
Don Meredith appears to be standing firm in the face of calls to quit his Senate seat as senators prepare to meet to consider possible sanctions following the ethics investigation verdict that he broke rules with his sexual relationship with a teenage girl.
In a sharply worded open letter, Sen. André Pratte urged the Ontario senator to resign, declaring that “as a senator and as a man, your conduct was unconscionable.
“Although I know you must be going through a very difficult time, I am writing to plead with you to resign from the Senate as soon as possible. If you do not, I am afraid you will do yourself and, most importantly, the institution, unnecessary and lasting harm,” Pratte wrote.
Pratte said the ethics investigation into Meredith “is as damning as it is thorough” and his failure to cooperate “adds to the injury.”
Pratte also takes issue with Meredith’s lack of apology to the “victim,” the Senate and all Canadians, “which you should have done long ago.”
Meredith did not respond to a request for comment Monday.
Last week’s ethics report that found Meredith failed to uphold the “highest standards of dignity” of the Senate by embarking on a two-year affair with a then 16-year-old girl.
Pratte’s letter comes as efforts were being made to convene a meeting of the ethics committee to decide what, if any, sanction Meredith should face.