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Stan Cho, left, speaks to media alongside Ontario Premier Doug Ford in February. Mr. Cho has resigned from the Ford cabinet days after it was revealed that he spent more than $16,000 on hotels in the past three years, despite representing a Toronto riding.Sammy Kogan/The Canadian Press
Toronto MPP Stan Cho has resigned from Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s cabinet, days after it was revealed that he billed thousands in local hotel stays in recent years.
Mr. Cho, who was tourism, culture and gaming minister, spent more than $16,000 on hotels in the past three years, despite representing a Toronto riding not far from the Ontario legislature.
“Earlier today, I accepted the resignation of Stan Cho from cabinet, effective immediately. He has acknowledged and taken responsibility for his mistake,” Mr. Ford said in a statement Friday.
The Premier said Mr. Cho will stay on as the MPP for Willowdale, in the north of Toronto. The Premier’s office confirmed that he remains a member of the Progressive Conservative caucus.
Mr. Cho and more than a dozen others in the caucus – including others in cabinet – charged more than $120,000 since 2023 on hotels, according to public disclosure documents. The opposition has accused the government members of entitlement and frivolous spending, alleging that they abused the rules.
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The hotel stays were filed under “special circumstances” expenses that allow members of the legislature who live within 50 kilometres of Queen’s Park to charge for hotels under exceptional circumstances, such as snowstorms or night sittings.
Mr. Cho’s resignation did little to quell criticisms from opposition party leaders, who questioned why others who also expensed hotel stays were not resigning. They called for a full public accounting of the costs.
Outside of cabinet, Hardeep Grewal, a parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Transportation, had the highest expenses, billing for more than $27,000 in Toronto accommodations since 2023. Mr. Grewal represents the riding of Brampton East, northwest of Toronto.
At a news conference in Toronto about wildfires on Friday, Mr. Ford was asked why the others were remaining in cabinet. They include Nina Tangri, associate minister of small business, who represents Mississauga-Streetsville, west of Toronto, and billed almost $19,000 since 2023. Brampton Centre MPP Charmaine Williams, who is associate minister of women’s social and economic opportunity, expensed $15,865.
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Mr. Ford did not directly answer but said the expenses would be paid back in full.
“It’s unacceptable. It’s not how we operate. We have to be prudent fiscal managers. Stan did the right thing,” Mr. Ford said.
“They’re paying back every single penny.”
In his resignation letter posted to X on Friday, Mr. Cho said he claimed accommodation in the city on nights the legislature sat late. He said he has reviewed every single claim from the past three years and is satisfied that they met the criteria set out in the members’ guide.
“Looking back now, I made a mistake. I am taking full responsibility, as I don’t want to be a distraction from our plan to grow the economy, keep families safe, and build the province,” Mr. Cho wrote.
“I have a young family at home and a schedule that too often kept me from them. On late nights, I made a choice that was easier for me. I did not stop to ask how it would look to a person in my riding working a double shift.”
He added that he has repaid the expenses in full.
Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles said in a statement Friday that Mr. Cho’s resignation does not explain how he racked up $16,000 in hotel charges.
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“This minister was riding high, living the suite life on the taxpayer dime, and is now trying to dodge accountability because he got caught,” she said.
She added that Ms. Tangri, Ms. Williams and Mr. Grewal also racked up tens of thousands in charges.
“Do they still have the Premier’s confidence?”
Interim Liberal Leader John Fraser said Mr. Cho’s resignation is “just the tip of the iceberg.”
“There’s more to the story than just Stan Cho’s hotel rooms. There are more ministers and more members, and there are more scandals,” he said in a statement, calling for a release of all receipts.
Mr. Cho was first elected in 2018. He previously held the role of long-term care minister.
Mr. Ford also announced on Friday that Neil Lumsden, the Minister of Sport, will be retiring as an MPP on Aug. 4.
The Premier said in a post on social media that Attorney-General Doug Downey will take over the additional cabinet duties on an interim basis.