Former senator Don Meredith charged with sexual assault
A former Canadian senator is facing sexual assault charges in connection with incidents that allegedly took place nearly a decade ago.
In a press release issued on Saturday, Ottawa police said Don Meredith, 58, of Toronto, is charged with three counts of sexual assault and one count of criminal harassment in connection with alleged incidents in 2013 and 2014, which police say were reported by an adult woman.
An Ottawa police source tells CTV News the man charged is the former senator.
Meredith was charged Saturday and released on a promise to appear in court.
Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper appointed Meredith, a Pentecostal minister, to the Senate in 2010. Meredith was expelled from the Conservative caucus in 2015 when allegations of inappropriate behaviour surfaced. He later joined the Independent Senators Group as member of its chamber coordination team, but was removed from a leadership position within that group in 2017.
Meredith resigned in 2017 following an ethics committee report that declared him unfit to serve over allegations he had developed an extra-marital relationship with a 16-year-old girl that eventually became sexual—once shortly before she turned 18 and twice afterwards.
Meredith acknowledged the affair, but insisted he did not have intercourse with the girl until after she turned 18. He resigned before an expected attempt to expel him from the Red Chamber.
CTV News Ottawa reached out to the lawyer who represented Meredith as a senator but has yet to receive a reply.
Meredith was also found by the Senate’s ethics officer, in a report released after his resignation, to have created a toxic workplace environment by harassing, bullying, and threatening staff. In 2020, the senate paid his former staffers $498,000 in compensation.
Ottawa police say they are concerned there may be other victims and are asking anyone with information to contact them at 613-236-1222 ext. 5944, or by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Oh my God, you're my brother': Man in his 70s discovers 6 unknown siblings
After receiving a DNA kit one Christmas from his son-in-law, Hugh McCormick soon discovered that he had six unknown siblings, with whom he shared the same birth parents.
No refund for travellers who cancelled flight already scrapped by airline: regulator
Four years on, the controversy over whether airlines owed refunds to passengers after cancelling hundreds of thousands of flights during the pandemic continues to simmer, aggravated by a sluggish, opaque complaints process.
Just how bad are ultraprocessed foods? Here are 5 things to know
Many foods fall under the category of ultraprocessed foods, depending on their exact ingredients. This type of food has been studied a lot lately, and the results aren’t great.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Rates of cancer declining in Canada, but more work needed to save lives: projections
A new study projecting declining rates of cancer cases and deaths in Canada demonstrates the success of prevention and early detection programs, but also highlights areas where more work is needed to save and prolong lives, researchers say.
DEVELOPING Trump trial arrives at a pivotal moment: Star witness Michael Cohen is poised to take the stand
The star prosecution witness in Donald Trump's hush money trial is set to take the stand Monday with testimony that could help shape the outcome of the first criminal case against an American president.
India's mammoth election is more than halfway done as millions begin voting in fourth round
Millions of Indians across 96 constituencies began casting their ballots on Monday as the country's gigantic, six-week-long election edges past its halfway mark. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a third straight term with an eye on winning a supermajority in Parliament.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
Man fatally 'slashed in the neck' in downtown Toronto, suspect outstanding
Police are searching for a male suspect after a man was “slashed in neck” on Sunday morning in downtown Toronto and died.