Stan Cho Responds to Promotion After Resigning Over Expenses Controversy
A former Ontario cabinet member who stepped down due to an expenses issue defended his recent promotion, explaining that he charged taxpayers for hotel stays in Toronto for family-related reasons.
Cho resigned as the tourism, culture and gaming minister in July after expensing $16,000 for hotel stays in Toronto, even though he lives in the city.
He admitted he made “an error in judgment.”
“A sleep-training baby at home, a bad hip, and a wife I spoke to who said, ‘Look, if you’re gonna be home that late and leave that early, this is a decision that’s best for the family,'” Cho said Tuesday as politicians returned to Queen’s Park after a 147-day break.
“But that was out of touch. I mean, there are a lot of families who go through these things without the convenience of having a hotel close to work. I’m gonna work hard to regain their trust,” he said.
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Cho represents the north Toronto riding of Willowdale and stated he has paid back taxpayers out of his own funds.
Ford recently promoted Cho to parliamentary assistant for Education Minister Paul Calandra, which includes a $22,000 salary increase.
Expense records available to the public show that some members of Ford’s cabinet and other caucus members living near Toronto had been utilizing a special circumstances rule regarding hotel expenses since around 2023.
Opposition parties have called for Cho’s resignation from his seat in the legislature.
“This minister made a decision at some point when he was in a hotel to give them either his own credit card or the taxpayer’s credit card and he chose the latter,” said NDP Leader Marit Stiles.
“And I think it is outrageous that the premier has decided to actually promote this guy and he’s taken no responsibility ultimately for his actions.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first Oct. 27, 2026.
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