A city councillor facing a sexual assault charge has declared his innocence and vows to continue doing his job.
Coun. Russ Wyatt arrived to chair the East Kildonan-Transcona community committee meeting on Thursday morning and told reporters he will continue to fulfil his council tasks.
The Transcona councillor was arrested and charged in March with sexual assault and administering a noxious substance. It’s alleged that during a gathering in December in the east area of the city, the victim was sexually assaulted after being given an illicit drug.
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Coun. Russ Wyatt (Transcona) was arrested and charged in March with sexual assault and administering a noxious substance.
Wyatt said Thursday he is innocent of the charges.
“I’m going to continue to do my job, as serving the people, as I always have and I always will…,” Wyatt said. “Public service is something that I’ve been called to, and I feel very passionately about it. And when I do it, it makes me feel good and I love my community.
“So I’m going to continue to do the job that I was elected to do.”
Mayor Scott Gillingham has called Wyatt’s presence at city hall a “distraction” and some councillors have urged Wyatt to step away from politics to deal with the criminal allegations. However, the City of Winnipeg charter allows city councillors to work while they undergo criminal proceedings.
The charter dictates that a member of council forfeits their seat if they’re convicted of a serious criminal offence.
On Thursday, Wyatt declined to answer most questions about the criminal charges or being urged to step back from his council role.
“I can’t discuss that. I’m here to continue to do my job, and the matter is before the courts…,” he said. “Right now, I’m presumed innocent under the law, and I’m going to continue to do my job as I always have and I always will.”
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The allegations against Wyatt have not been tested in court.
While councillors have the power to hold a vote to remove a colleague from serving on city council’s standing policy committees, that option has not taken place.
Wyatt also attended the city council meeting held two days after his arrest.
joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca
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Joyanne is city hall reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. A reporter since 2004, she began covering politics exclusively in 2012, writing on city hall and the Manitoba Legislature for the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in early 2020. Read more about Joyanne.
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