Coun. Matthew Luloff charged with impaired driving

Ottawa city councillor Matthew Luloffhas been charged with impaired driving, according to his lawyer Lawrence Greenspon.

Court documents show Luloff was arrested onJuly 6, 2024and faces two charges related to impaired driving: one for seeming impaired and one for having an illegally high blood alcohol level after a test.

"There was no accident involved," Greenspon said on Monday."We will be defending him on the charge."

Ottawa police said they wouldn't share details because theydon't name people facing this charge unless it involves a life-threatening injury or death.

Luloff himself did not comment and directedall questions to his lawyer.

Hewas first elected to the east Ottawa ward ofOrlansin 2018. The ward boundaries were redrawn in 2020and Luloff wasre-elected to the renamed(and slightly expanded) Orlans East-Cumberlandward in 2022.

He was also nominated as the Conservative candidate for Orlans in the next federal election, but resigned four days after his arrest.

According to Sarah Fischer,Conservative Party of Canada director of communications, Luloff resigned his candidacy on July 10 "due to a personal matter." She did not say whether it was related to the impaired driving charge.

Luloffalso serves as the chair of the Ottawa Public Library Board. Before his political career, he was a member of the Canadian Armed Forces.

His court date was set for Aug. 8but was pushed back until the fall.