Mayor Larry O'Brien says he's determined to clear his name as he prepares to stand trial on charges that he attempted to influence the city's 2006 mayoral race.
"I'm relieved. I'm absolutely relieved that it's finally at trial. I'm hoping that you get your day in court and the truth comes out," O'Brien said in a candid one-on-one interview with CTV Ottawa's Max Keeping.
"I wish that this had happened a year ago and it was out of the way because the longer it goes, the tougher it is, obviously."
- Watch the entire interview, where Mayor Larry O'Brien talks about his feelings about being charged and reflects on the two-year wait to clear his name.
O'Brien was charged with two Criminal Code counts following a nine-month police investigation in 2007 into claims by Terry Kilrea that allege O'Brien offered him a position on the National Parole Board if he agreed to leave the race for mayor.
While O'Brien admits it's been tough to deal with the charges, he says it hasn't prevented him from being a good mayor.
"If anything, it's energized me in terms of my day-to-day work. But it does bother me, there's no mistakes about that," he told CTV Ottawa.
"It's crappy. This is an awkward thing to go through. It's embarrassing, but when in your heart you know and feel that this is a bit of a sham, a bit politically motivated, then you just carry on and you work hard."
O'Brien is set to temporarily step aside as mayor beginning May 2. His trial is expected to last six to nine weeks.
In the meantime, Coun. Michel Bellemare will become acting mayor.
CTV Ottawa requested a similar interview with Kilrea, who made the accusations against the mayor. However, Kilrea declined the invitation.
