Liberal Party candidate halts campaign over sexual assault allegation

In a setback to Liberals’ federal elections campaign, one of its candidates from Toronto has been asked to “pause campaigning” while the Liberals investigate an allegation of sexual assault against him.

The Toronto Star reported that Kevin Vuong, the party nominee from the riding of Spadina - Fort York, was charged with sexual assault by an unidentified woman in 2019. According to the Star, Vuong “unequivocally” denied the charge and described them as “false”. However, he added, “I will be taking some time with my family.”

Vuong faced the charge in court but it was withdrawn in November 2019. The alleged victim said the incident occurred in April that year but she “didn’t have the energy” to undergo a trial in this regard. The alleged victim said she only became aware that Vuong was running as a candidate for the federal elections due on September 20 when she saw his picture on election signage after returning to Toronto recently.

This is the second time this election that a Liberal candidate faces allegations of harassments. Two weeks ago, MP Raj Saini announced that he had decided to end his run for re-election from Kitchener Centre after such allegations arose against him. Saini described the allegations he faced as “unequivocally false” adding that he had “never acted inappropriately towards staff, volunteers or constituents.”

While Vuong’s fate as a candidate is unclear, he was running in the seat of Adam Vaughan, who served as parliamentary secretary to prime minister on intergovernmental affairs from 2015 to 2017, and to the minister of families, children and social development on housing and urban affairs from 2017 to 2021.