Liberal Colin Kenny withdraws from Grit caucus while under Senate investigation

OTTAWA – Sen. Colin Kenny has withdrawn from the federal Liberal caucus while the Senate investigates a complaint about him.

Justin Trudeau’s office confirms that Kenny informed the Liberal leader on Wednesday that he was recusing himself from caucus “pending the outcome of an investigation by the Senate administration.”

Sources tell The Canadian Press the investigation involves a complaint of sexual harassment.

Kenny did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but he told CBC the allegations were “bogus.”

The CBC report does not identify the specific complainant, but it does reference an earlier interview with a woman who worked for Kenny for two months over the summer.

CBC reported the woman said in the interview that Kenny made sexual comments, asked her to wear high-heeled shoes and repeatedly put his hand on her waist when meeting alone with her in his office.

Kenny, a former staffer in the Prime Minister’s Office under Pierre Trudeau, has been a senator since he was appointed to the upper chamber in 1984.

He’s perhaps best known for his work on defence and security issues, serving as chairman of the Senate committee on national security and defence from 2001 to 2009.