Don Meredith staff harassment probe referred to Senate ethics officer

A senator accused of harassing and bullying his staff has had his case referred to the Senate ethics officer, Speaker Leo Housakos said Thursday.

Housakos confirmed in a short statement Thursday morning that Senator Don Meredith has been told he will undergo an ethics probe.

Housakos says he and other top senators on the Senate's internal economy committee felt it was "imperative" the investigation results be referred to ethics officer Lyse Ricard, who is already conducting a preliminary investigation into Meredith on an unrelated matter.

• Report on Senator Don Meredith allegations expected this week, Leo Housakos says
• Meredith facing review after staff harassment, bullying accusations

The allegations in the investigation report remain unproven and none of the staffers who took part, nor any whose stories are included in the report, wanted to file a formal complaint against Sen. Don Meredith.

The former Conservative senator who now sits as an independent has not returned multiple requests for comment left for him Wednesday night by The Canadian Press.

A Senate source with knowledge of the report, speaking on condition of anonymity because no public statements had been authorized, said the majority of the allegations against Meredith describe him as being a bully, rude and unprofessional towards his staff.

There are also allegations of psychological harassment and sometimes making irrational demands of his staff, the source said.

A source told CBC News, also on condition of anonymity, that Meredith denied the allegations when questioned for the Senate's investigation.

Depending on the outcome of the latest ethics review, Meredith's case could be referred to the Senate's ethics committee. He could face penalties ranging from a forced public apology on the floor of the Senate — which is the punishment for former Conservative Pierre Hugues Boisvenu when he was found last year to have violated the Senate's ethics code — to suspension without pay.

Eight staff involved

The Senate first ordered the investigation into Meredith's office in February after top senators, including former Speaker Pierre Claude Nolin, witnessed what they felt was a troubling turnover of staff in Meredith's office.

The six staffers who left Meredith's office in the last four years and spoke with investigators are not identified in the report and only took part on the condition that their names be protected.

Two more staffers who left Meredith's office in the last four years declined to take part, but had their stories told second-hand to investigators from the six staffers who did speak, the source said.

A source with knowledge of the report told CBC News most of the complaints are about bullying and unprofessional behaviour, but one allegation concerns an attempt by Meredith to kiss and hug someone without consent.

The source told CBC News the individuals involved have declined to submit formal complaints, leaving the Senate with the ethics office as the only option.

Meredith is already under investigation by the Senate's ethics officer after published allegations last month that he had a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old girl.

• Senator Don Meredith hires lawyer amid allegations of relationship with teen
• Meredith referred to ethics officer after reports of affair with teen
• ​Meredith kicked out of Conservative caucus

The Toronto-area senator appointed by Prime Minister Stephen Harper left the Conservative caucus after the allegations were made in a Toronto Star story.

He has since faced calls for his resignation from senators of both stripes. Through a lawyer retained after the Star story was published, Meredith stated he fully intends to respect the internal procedures of the Senate.

Former Conservative candidate, now controversial

Two years prior to being named to the Senate, Meredith ran unsuccessfully for the Conservatives in a 2008 byelection in the riding of Toronto Centre.

His time in the upper chamber has not been without controversy.

In 2012, Meredith landed in trouble with members of his own caucus for appearing at a Persian cultural event at Ottawa City Hall co-organized by the Iranian embassy. The Prime Minister's Office distanced itself from Meredith after the event, saying Meredith wasn't there representing the government, which has taken a hard line against Iran.

Last year, Meredith repaid the Senate for a trip he and his wife took to the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C. The annual event draws some 3,000 politicians and diplomats, including the U.S. president.

Meredith, however, didn't have any spending problems reported in the auditor general's June report into Senate spending.

Meredith also landed in hot water for referring to himself as "Dr. Don Meredith" in press releases, despite the fact his doctorate came from a institution that didn't have degree-granting powers.