Sen. Patrick Brazeau is hoping to return to the Senate "as quickly as possible," after he was granted an absolute discharge in his assault and cocaine possession case on Wednesday.
Brazeau pleaded guilty in September, to reduced charges of assault and possession of cocaine, after the Crown dropped a sexual assault charge against him due to lack of evidence.
"Now that this case is over, I'll focus on my Senate role," on Wednesday, after the verdict was delivered. He added that he is "still on leave at this moment."
The Crown and Brazeau's lawyer jointly recommended an absolute discharge, under which Brazeau will not serve jail time or have a criminal record from the case.
After the verdict was delivered, Brazeau said he expects the "taint" of the sex assault accusation will follow him, even though he was found not guilty. "I endured it for two-and-a-half years and I might endure it for the rest of my life," he told reporters.
Brazeau later told CTV鈥檚 Power Play that 鈥渢here鈥檚 a lot of people who don鈥檛 know exactly what happened with respect to the charges that were laid against me.鈥�
鈥淭hey were not in the courtroom,鈥� he said.
Brazeau is due back in court in March, for a separate criminal trial in which he faces fraud and breach of trust charges relating to Senate expenses.
鈥淚f I do go to trial, I will fight these charges and I鈥檓 sure I鈥檓 going to clear my name once and for all,鈥� he told Power Play.
Brazeau was kicked out of the Conservative caucus in November of 2013, after he was charged and suspended without pay from the Senate. That suspension was lifted when Parliament was dissolved for the federal election in August.
He said that even though he鈥檚 no longer a suspended senator, the Red Chamber decided to seize his salary 鈥渦ntil the debt they claim I owe is paid back in full.鈥�
鈥淎t the end of the day, I know I did nothing wrong,鈥� he said.
Brazeau said he will not return to the Conservative caucus when he resumes sitting in the Senate.
"I'm an independent First Nations senator," Brazeau said outside court.
