Han Dong, the MP who left the Liberal caucus to fight an accusation that he meddled in the arrests of two Canadians, says he met with Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc last week and is waiting to hear if he will be able to return. to join the liberal group. .

Dong said LeBlanc told him he would talk to the prime minister.

“I hope to rejoin the caucus as soon as possible,” the independent MP told Breaking:.

Dong, a Toronto-area MP, announced in late March that he would sit as an independent after Global News published a report alleging that he advised a top Chinese diplomat in February 2021 that Beijing should postpone the release of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, both. The Canadians were being held by China at the time.

Former special rapporteur on foreign interference, David Johnston, investigated the claim and concluded in a report published in May that the allegation was “false.”

LeBlanc has said he is reviewing the situation internally. Earlier this month, he said he would make a recommendation at “the right time.”

The minister’s office said he will have more to say in due course.

SEE | Ottawa launches public inquiry into foreign meddling

Ottawa launches public inquiry into Beijing-backed meddling

Judge Marie-Josée Hogue will lead a public inquiry into foreign interference operations targeting the last two Canadian federal elections. Power & Politics speaks with Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc, NDP House Leader Peter Julian and Bloc Québécois justice critic Rhéal Fortin.

Johnston’s report also found “irregularities” were noted in Dong’s nomination for the federal Liberals in 2019 and cited a “well-founded suspicion that the irregularities were related to the PRC consulate in Toronto, with whom the Mr. Dong maintains relations.”

But Johnston, who resigned as rapporteur, wrote that he found no evidence that Dong knew about China’s possible involvement in his nomination.

In April, Dong filed a $15 million defamation lawsuit against Global News and its parent company, Corus Entertainment.

“I can’t talk about the litigation because it is before the court, but what I can say is that it is in the discovery phase and I hope to clear my name once and for all during the trial,” Dong said recently.

In a statement issued in March, Global News said it “is governed by a rigorous set of journalistic principles and practices, and we are keenly aware of the public interest and legal responsibility for this important accountability report.”