Kevin Vuong apologizes for not letting his constituents know about 2019 sexual assault allegation

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TORONTO – Independent MP Kevin Vuong says he regrets not being transparent about a past sexual assault charge and apologizes after the allegation surfaced just days before the federal election.

In an exclusive with NEWSTALK 1010’s Moore in the Morning, Vuong broke his silence on the issue after winning Toronto’s Spadina-Fort York riding in the September federal election.

“I made a mistake in judgment and I made the wrong decision, and I let people down. And I deeply regret it and I really want to apologize, ”Vuong told host John Moore from his constituency office in Toronto on Wednesday.

Just days before the election, the Toronto Star published a report on a previous sexual assault charge against Vuong in 2019.

The newspaper reported that the charge was subsequently withdrawn by the Crown.

Shortly after hearing about the allegation, the Liberals asked Vuong to “suspend his campaign” and later said Vuong would not be a member of the Liberal caucus if elected.

However, thousands of people had already voted by mail or advance polls in the riding and the Liberals said it was too late to withdraw party affiliation from the poll.

Vuong, who is an officer in the naval reserves and a business owner, has denied the allegations.

Asked about the charge on Wednesday, Vuong did not disclose further details.

“I don’t think it’s appropriate to go beyond that other than to read the details of the case, namely that, you know, the Crown withdrew the charge, and in fact the Crown. withdrew the charge unconditionally, “he said.

“I am not here to fight a previous allegation. What I’m here to do is, you know, in this dedicated forum to be able to provide some context around what happened, ”he added.

The Liberals said they had no knowledge of the prosecution at the time of his appointment and promised to improve the candidate selection process going forward.

Vuong said he learned of his dismissal from the party when the general public did, and did not blame the party for the decision.

“To be honest, I think the exact timing is a bit hazy in my mind. When I found out when everyone did it, I think it was followed shortly after by an email that kind of came full circle on this.

When asked if he would like to be a Liberal in the future, Vuong did not respond and said he was focused on serving his constituency right now.

Vuong managed to win the constituency with around 39% of the vote, beating his main competitor, NDP candidate Norm di Pasquale.

Despite strong calls for Vuong to resign, including his predecessor Adam Vaughan, he released a statement days after his victory saying he plans to continue as an independent member of parliament.

Vuong told NEWSTALK 1010 that he regretted not being transparent about the allegation.

“I want to apologize, I want to apologize to the people of Fort York, I want to apologize to the Prime Minister and, you know, my former Liberal colleagues. I regret that I did not disclose the charge that was withdrawn and, you know, I also want to apologize to the people who supported me, for embarrassing them, ”he said.

Vuong said he “made the wrong choice” in hiding the accusation and was acting “naive”.

“I made the wrong call. I made a huge error in judgment in not disclosing, did I, and again, I want to apologize for that. That is why I am now an independent member of Parliament.

Although many expressed concerns about Vuong’s victory, he said he was determined to serve the constituency and had already resolved hundreds of issues brought to his office.

“The point is that out of the 610 cases that we have had for about a month and a little we have already resolved two-thirds, 399 are completed. There are 211 outstanding files that we are actively working on and the independent public service does not care that I am independent or that you come from another party, ”he said.

Vuong said he was ready to answer voters’ questions, but urged the public not to approach family and friends.

“One of the things I ask is, you know, people stop accosting my partner, you know when she was walking our dog, please leave her alone. My friends, my family, my shipmates, my former colleagues, please leave them alone.

Voung was officially sworn in as an MP and said he hired staff in Toronto and was looking to hire employees for his office in Ottawa.

He said he currently has no relationship with the Liberal Party or the Prime Minister’s Office.

-With files from The Canadian Press.

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