Michael Thompson to seek re-election despite sexual assault charges
Toronto city council candidate Michael Thompson told CP24 on Tuesday that he will focus his energy on his re-election campaign despite the sexual assault charges laid against him last week.
Thompson said that his legal team advised him not to speak on the matter, but added that he is “still the Councillor for Scarborough Centre.”
“I have been the Councillor for Scarborough Centre for 19 years. I’ve worked hard for this community and I will continue to do that,” he said.
Thompson was charged with two counts of sexual assault last week, stemming from an alleged incident at a private residence in Muskoka in July of this year.
The complaints were allegedly made by two women, according to Calvin Barry, Thompson’s former lawyer.
Barry stepped away from the case on Saturday, citing close personal ties with Thompson, which he said would prevent him from being objective enough to carry out his duties as a lawyer.
Before resigning, Barry told CTV News Toronto that Thompson plans to plead not guilty and will put up a “vigorous defence.”
Thompson has since hired Jennifer Brevorka, a partner at Henein Hutchison LLP, to represent him.
Thompson, 62, stepped down as one of John Tory’s deputy mayors and chair of Toronto's Economic and Community Development Committee last week.
"I take sexual assault allegations and charges against any individual very seriously," Tory said at the time.
"While the councillor is facing these charges, it would not be appropriate for him to continue serving as a deputy mayor or chair of a standing council committee. He has agreed and will be resigning those positions effective immediately."
Thompson has been involved in municipal politics for nearly three decades and has been a city councillor since 2003.
The charges against him have not been tested in court.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
Magnitude 4.2 earthquake reported off Vancouver Island's west coast
A 4.2-magnitude earthquake was recorded west of Vancouver Island early Friday morning.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
Her SUV was stolen in Montreal. A Good Samaritan on Facebook helped her get it back
Just as she had feared, a restaurant owner from eastern Quebec who visited Montreal had her SUV stolen, but says it was all thanks to the kindness of strangers on the internet — not the police — that she got it back.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.