Gambling problem led to resignation of Liberal MP
OTTAWA— Brampton East MP Raj Grewal announced he would resign his seat after informing the Prime Minister’s Office that he is getting health treatment for a gambling problem that has driven him into debt.
Chantal Gagnon, a spokesperson for the prime minister, told the Star by email Friday that Grewal informed them of his situation this week.
“Earlier this week, Mr. Grewal told us that he is undergoing serious personal challenges, and that he is receiving treatment from a health professional related to a gambling problem that led him to incur significant personal debts,” Gagnon said.
“Based on these circumstances, we agreed that his decision to resign as member of Parliament for Brampton East was the right one. We hope he receives the support he needs.”
Gagnon added that the PMO is aware the Royal Canadian Mounted Police made inquiries earlier this year into the circumstances surrounding the ethics commissioner’s investigation into Grewal’s conduct during Justin Trudeau’s trip to India, but that the office is not aware of an investigation by Peel Regional Police.
The Peel police force operates in Grewal’s riding.
When contacted by the Star on Friday, Peel Const. Akhil Mooken said the force would not confirm or deny the existence of any investigation unless charges are laid.
RCMP spokesperson Chantal Payette declined to comment Friday afternoon, stating “the RCMP does not confirm or deny the existence of a criminal investigation unless charges are laid.”
As an MP, Grewal had an annual salary of $175,600. According to his ethics and conflict of interest disclosure, which was removed from the website when he resigned this week, Grewal also received additional employment income from two sources: a law firm called Gahir and Associates, and a Brampton construction firm called Zgemi Inc.
He also had lines of credit from three different banks and a joint mortgage with an unidentified individual through a fourth banking institution.
Property records show Grewal and his spouse purchased a condo on Bay Street for $1.3 million earlier this year, and took out a $1.5 million mortgage on the property.
It was the disclosed income from Zgemi Inc. that prompted an investigation from Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion. He launched an investigation into Grewal’s conduct in May after the National Post and the Star reported Grewal invited Zgemi Inc. chief executive Yusef Yenilmez, who had paid Grewal for legal advice, to events with Trudeau, cabinet ministers and high-ranking government officials during the trip to India.
The report sparked concerns of a possible conflict of interest from New Democrats and Conservatives, who wrote to Dion urging him to launch an investigation.
Dion’s office said Thursday that parliamentary rules prevent it from confirming whether that investigation is ongoing. New Democrat MP Charlie Angus, one of the MPs who called for the probe, said the investigation should continue even though Grewal is resigning. “It is important the investigation is completed,” Angus wrote on Twitter.
The PMO’s email confirming Grewal’s gambling and debt came after Liberals were tightlipped about the MP’s situation for much of the day.
As iPolitics reported Friday morning, chief government whip Mark Holland sent a memo to Liberal MPs instructing them “to refrain from speculating or commenting publicly” about Grewal’s resignation.
Grewal was confirmed last month as the Brampton East Liberal candidate for the 2019 general election, but as of Friday, his page on the Liberal website appeared to have been deleted. Party spokesperson Braeden Caley said Friday that Grewal will no longer be the nominee in Brampton East after resigning his seat.
In an interview with the Star, Holland said Grewal informed him of his resignation Wednesday. “It’s sad. It’s very unfortunate that he’s facing very serious personal issues. It was very challenging, but the right thing to do,” he said. “It wouldn’t be respectful to him to comment further.”
Grewal has not responded to requests for comment from the Star this week.
On Thursday night, Trudeau posted on Twitter that Grewal’s decision to resign “was the right one.” He added, “I hope he receives the support he needs.”
In his Facebook post Thursday, Grewal said his decision to step down was difficult but ulti- mately necessary.
“This has been a decision I’ve struggled with for some time now and one I made with great difficulty and real sadness. But I feel I need this time to focus on my health and family,” he wrote.
Grewal, 33, was a Bay St. lawyer before he entered politics and won the Brampton East Liberal nomination during a raucous night in September 2014. The Star reported at the time that many Liberal supporters were unable to cast votes, and that a brawl erupted outside the nomination venue. The MP sat on the House of Commons health committee, and was known for organizing youth basketball games in Brampton every weekend.
Ken Hardie, a Liberal MP from B.C. who sat near Grewal in the House of Commons, said by email Friday that “it was apparent to me that his constituents really valued him as their MP.”
Gurpreet Dhillon, a Brampton city councillor whose brother works for Grewal, told the Star that the MP’s resignation took him by surprise.
“We speak regularly. I was at his office this week, on Monday, just to drop by and say hi,” Dhillon said.
“He was an excellent representative of the community, so to have his voice and his leadership from the MP level not there for the future, I think Brampton East certainly has a big loss,” he added. “We hope everything is OK with him.”
Parminder Singh, a Brampton doctor and founding commentator for Hockey Night in Punjabi who ran for the provincial Liberals in Grewal’s area, said he was blindsided to learn of Grewal’s gambling troubles.
“Raj spent a lot of time with us, campaigning, canvassing,” he said. “This is just shocking, to be honest. He’s such a bright individual, no one thought this would be the case.”