Expelled Liberal candidate says he'll sit as an Independent

Former Liberal candidate Kevin Vuong says that he'll sit as an Independent if he wins a close race in his Toronto riding — even though the Liberals cut ties with him just days before the election over a sexual assault charge that was later dropped.

Vuong failed to disclose to the Liberal Party that he had been charged in 2019. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his party learned about the charge from a Toronto Star article during the final week of the election campaign and asked Vuong to pause his riding campaign.

Trudeau dropped Vuong as a candidate two days before the election — too late to remove his name from the ballot. The party said that if Vuong won his seat, he would not be part of the Liberal caucus. 

In a statement issued today, Vuong maintained his innocence and said he understands that "not everyone is happy with my election."

"For those who feel this way, I understand the source of your doubts and I will work hard to earn your trust," he wrote.

Vuong also wrote that he supports efforts to crack down on sexual misconduct and promised to talk about the allegations once the campaign is out of the way.

"Allegations of sexual assault are a serious matter, deserving of more discussion than this statement can provide," he said. "For these reasons, I intend to address them at a later date more wholly in a dedicated forum."