Wyatt maintains he’s innocent after being charged with sex assault

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 fulfill 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.

Wyatt said 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 since the allegations.

“I maintain my position. My recommendation to the councillor is that he step away to deal with the matters,” the mayor said earlier this week. Some city councillors have also urged Wyatt to take a break from politics.

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 certain serious criminal offences.

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 … 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,” he said.

The allegations have not been tested in court.

While councillors do 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. At that meeting on March 26, he spoke several times about items on the agenda. As he did so, Coun. Cindy Gilroy swivelled her chair around to turn her back to him. She later told reporters she did it on purpose.

He was previously charged with sexual assault in 2018, after a woman told police he had attacked her in his home, though that charge was later stayed.

Following that allegation, city officials explored implementing a forced leave of absence for council members facing certain criminal charges, including assault and sexual assault. However, the change was never approved amid concerns it would conflict with the presumption that those facing criminal charges are innocent until proven guilty.

Couns. Jeff Browaty (North Kildonan) and Emma Durand-Wood (Elmwood-East Kildonan), the two other members of the East Kildonan-Transcona community committee, declined comment Thursday on Wyatt’s city hall status.

The mayor recently said council could still review the charter rules that allow a councillor to keep working following criminal charges, though any change would require provincial approval.

“I think, right now, given that the matter is before the courts, the timing may not be now to do that,” he said.

Gillingham said he’s heard no update on whether any councillors would call a vote on removing Wyatt from the Standing Policy Committee on Property and Development.

Council members cannot vote to remove a colleague from the East Kildonan-Transcona community committee, or any other community committee. A bylaw requires those committees to include the councillors that represent wards in a specific region of the city.

joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca

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