Toronto councillor resigns from FIFA committee amid sex assault trial – Toronto [Video]

Embattled Toronto Coun. Michael Thompson has quietly stepped away from his appointment to a high-profile committee overseeing the city’s FIFA World Cup hosting duties.

The decision comes in the middle of an Ontario Court of Justice trial in which Thompson is fighting two counts of sexual assault following a Muskoka cottage holiday on Canada Day weekend in 2022.

Thompson has maintained his innocence and pleaded not guilty, but the trial has loomed over the Scarborough Centre councillor, who remains actively involved in city business.

Thompson’s head of communications, Royson James, confirmed the resignation to Global News. In an emailed statement, he said the councillor informed Mayor Olivia Chow of his decision over the phone last Wednesday.

“Councillor Thompson is tied up in legal proceedings and a court case that has no definitive end date. As such, he felt it best to remove himself from this important committee so as to eliminate opportunities for media distractions …