Liberals set to turf two MPs accused of sexual misconduct - The Globe and Mail
Newfoundland MP Scott Andrews says he was “astounded” to learn through the media that he and fellow Liberal MP Massimo Pacetti are about to be turfed permanently from the Liberal fold over allegations of sexual misconduct.
Liberal insiders say the fate of Andrews and Pacetti has been decided by Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau after receiving the results of an independent investigation he ordered into complaints levelled against them.
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Video: Trudeau, Mulcair differ on handling of misconduct allegations
Andrews said he co-operated fully with the investigation into the allegations, levelled by two female New Democrat MPs.
The investigation was conducted by Toronto lawyer Cynthia Petersen, a human rights specialist who has investigated sexual harassment complaints in the private sector.
She gave her report to Trudeau last week.
Andrews said he was promised a copy of Petersen’s executive summary before her conclusions were made public.
“I have been waiting since last Friday and I am still not privy to Cynthia Petersen’s report,” he said, adding that neither Trudeau nor the party has contacted him.
He said he was “disappointed to learn that unscrupulous, unnamed sources have chosen to communicate through the media rather than respect the process and those affected by it.”
Trudeau had intended to tell Andrews and Pacetti of his decision today, before making a public statement Thursday, according to insiders. But the news leaked out early.
Trudeau suspended the pair last November from the Liberal caucus and from seeking re-election under the party’s banner after a female New Democrat complained directly to him that Pacetti had allegedly had sex with her without her explicit consent.
The New Democrat also revealed to Trudeau that another female NDP MP had allegedly been sexually harassed by Andrews.
Both Pacetti and Andrews have maintained they did nothing wrong.
Attempts to get to the bottom of the complaints have been frustrated by the fact there is no formal process for investigating misconduct complaints between MPs.
Last fall, Trudeau initially asked Liberal whip Judy Foote to speak privately with the two women and, as a result of that informal process, bounced Pacetti and Andrews from caucus.
At the time, he said only that he acted after hearing complaints about “personal misconduct” from an MP from another party. He did not reveal the nature of the complaints or the gender or party affiliation of the complainants.
However, furious New Democrats accused him of “re-victimizing” the women by making the matter public. Trudeau’s attempts to win all-party support to create an independent process for investigating the complaints foundered while Pacetti and Andrews, their reputations in tatters, languished in limbo.
In December, Trudeau hired Petersen. It is not clear if either of the women co-operated with her or whether she had to rely on notes taken during the complainants’ meetings with Foote.
One of the alleged victims spoke on condition of anonymity to various media outlets, including The Canadian Press, late last November.
She alleged that she and Pacetti, whom she considered a friend, had been at a sporting event together last March. She agreed to go for a night cap in the hotel room Pacetti calls home while in Ottawa, where she alleged he made unwanted sexual advances.
Eventually, she alleged that Pacetti pulled her to him and they ended up having sex. The woman, who said she had previously been the victim of a violent sexual assault, said she froze and blocked out the situation. She alleged it was sex without her explicit consent.
During the confidential meeting with Foote, sources have told The Canadian Press that the woman acknowledged she did not explicitly say no to Pacetti and that she provided a condom. In the interview, she refused to comment on those details.
Sources have told The Canadian Press that a separate incident involving another female New Democrat began when she accompanied Pacetti and Andrews to Pacetti’s Parliament Hill office after a social event. The three drank some wine but Pacetti eventually left the other two alone.
According to sources, the woman alleged that Andrews followed her home, forced his way through her door, pushed her against a wall, groped her and ground his pelvis against her. She ordered him to leave. He did.
Sources have said the woman further alleged that Andrews subsequently repeatedly harassed her verbally, calling her a “c--kteaser,” among other things.
Newfoundland MP Scott Andrews says he was “astounded” to learn through the media that he and fellow Liberal MP Massimo Pacetti are about to be turfed permanently from the Liberal fold over allegations of sexual misconduct.
Liberal insiders say the fate of Andrews and Pacetti has been decided by Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau after receiving the results of an independent investigation he ordered into complaints levelled against them.
More Related to this Story
- Trudeau names lawyer to probe MP harassment claims
- Trudeau to decide if he’ll pursue investigation into suspended MPs
- NDP, Liberal leaders split on harassment claims review
Video: Trudeau, Mulcair differ on handling of misconduct allegations
Andrews said he co-operated fully with the investigation into the allegations, levelled by two female New Democrat MPs.
The investigation was conducted by Toronto lawyer Cynthia Petersen, a human rights specialist who has investigated sexual harassment complaints in the private sector.
She gave her report to Trudeau last week.
Andrews said he was promised a copy of Petersen’s executive summary before her conclusions were made public.
“I have been waiting since last Friday and I am still not privy to Cynthia Petersen’s report,” he said, adding that neither Trudeau nor the party has contacted him.
He said he was “disappointed to learn that unscrupulous, unnamed sources have chosen to communicate through the media rather than respect the process and those affected by it.”
Trudeau had intended to tell Andrews and Pacetti of his decision today, before making a public statement Thursday, according to insiders. But the news leaked out early.
Trudeau suspended the pair last November from the Liberal caucus and from seeking re-election under the party’s banner after a female New Democrat complained directly to him that Pacetti had allegedly had sex with her without her explicit consent.
The New Democrat also revealed to Trudeau that another female NDP MP had allegedly been sexually harassed by Andrews.
Both Pacetti and Andrews have maintained they did nothing wrong.
Attempts to get to the bottom of the complaints have been frustrated by the fact there is no formal process for investigating misconduct complaints between MPs.
Last fall, Trudeau initially asked Liberal whip Judy Foote to speak privately with the two women and, as a result of that informal process, bounced Pacetti and Andrews from caucus.
At the time, he said only that he acted after hearing complaints about “personal misconduct” from an MP from another party. He did not reveal the nature of the complaints or the gender or party affiliation of the complainants.
However, furious New Democrats accused him of “re-victimizing” the women by making the matter public. Trudeau’s attempts to win all-party support to create an independent process for investigating the complaints foundered while Pacetti and Andrews, their reputations in tatters, languished in limbo.
In December, Trudeau hired Petersen. It is not clear if either of the women co-operated with her or whether she had to rely on notes taken during the complainants’ meetings with Foote.
One of the alleged victims spoke on condition of anonymity to various media outlets, including The Canadian Press, late last November.
She alleged that she and Pacetti, whom she considered a friend, had been at a sporting event together last March. She agreed to go for a night cap in the hotel room Pacetti calls home while in Ottawa, where she alleged he made unwanted sexual advances.
Eventually, she alleged that Pacetti pulled her to him and they ended up having sex. The woman, who said she had previously been the victim of a violent sexual assault, said she froze and blocked out the situation. She alleged it was sex without her explicit consent.
During the confidential meeting with Foote, sources have told The Canadian Press that the woman acknowledged she did not explicitly say no to Pacetti and that she provided a condom. In the interview, she refused to comment on those details.
Sources have told The Canadian Press that a separate incident involving another female New Democrat began when she accompanied Pacetti and Andrews to Pacetti’s Parliament Hill office after a social event. The three drank some wine but Pacetti eventually left the other two alone.
According to sources, the woman alleged that Andrews followed her home, forced his way through her door, pushed her against a wall, groped her and ground his pelvis against her. She ordered him to leave. He did.
Sources have said the woman further alleged that Andrews subsequently repeatedly harassed her verbally, calling her a “c--kteaser,” among other things.