Suspended senator Patrick Brazeau has landed a new gig, working as a day manager at an Ottawa strip club.
Brazeau, who was suspended from the Senate without pay last November, started Tuesday at BareFax Gentlemen’s Club, located just a stone’s throw from Parliament Hill in Ottawa’s famed Byward Market.
CTV News cameras captured Brazeau arriving at the strip club around 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning.
When asked how the job was going, Brazeau replied "so far, so good." He added that he took the position because "a job is a job."
According to Carmelina Bentivoglio, one of the night club's owners, Brazeau interviewed for the position about two weeks ago. She said Brazeau, whom she’d never met before, is a friend of one of her family members. That family member knew the suspended senator was looking for a job, and referred him.
Brazeau will be working four days a week, from Tuesday until Friday, and will be responsible for managing about 25 staff, including hiring, firing, scheduling and inventory.
Asked what was special about Brazeau to land him the job, Bentivoglio replied: “Nothing.”
“It was timing,” she told reporters. “We lost a manager and we just got a call and sat with him and we thought we’d give him a try. That’s all it was, really.”
She did, however, say that Brazeau was “perfect” during the job interview.
Bentivoglio said the 39-year-old wasn’t hired to bring extra attention to BareFax, but rather because Brazeau’s strong communication and people skills make him a good fit for the job.
“Well, I mean, he’s got to be somewhat of a smart guy, right? He’s a politician so I’m assuming he’ll do well here.”
She said Brazeau will be subject to three months’ probation, as all employees are.
This isn’t the first job that the embattled senator has held since his suspension: Brazeau was hired as a freelance reporter for the Halifax-based Frank Magazine in December, but was let go after just one column.
Brazeau has been at the heart of the ongoing Senate expense scandal since it first emerged. He, along with former senator Mac Harb, was charged with breach of trust and fraud earlier this month following an RCMP investigation.
Brazeau is alleged to have improperly claimed close to $49,000 in housing expenses, after claiming his father’s home in Maniwaki as his primary residence in order to receive an annual taxpayer-subsidized housing allowance.
Brazeau was ordered to repay that money following an audit of his expenses. He was suspended from the Senate without pay in November, along with Pamela Wallin and Mike Duffy, whose expenses are also being investigated by the RCMP. Harb stepped down from the upper chamber last August.
Brazeau was also charged with assault and sexual assault in February 2013, following an incident at his Gatineau home.
None of the allegations against him have been tested or proven in court.
Asked whether she’s concerned about the allegations, Brazeau’s new boss said no.
“Everyone is innocent until proven guilty,” Bentivoglio said.
