THE CORK COUNCILLOR who was expelled from Sinn Féin last week is now considering whether to sue the party.
Cobh-based Kieran McCarthy was expelled from the party just over a week ago amid a huge controversy over tensions with the sitting Sinn Féin TD Sandra McLellan.
The party expelled McCarthy in the wake of a secret internal review into the constituency organisation which investigated a dispute over loans that the councillor took out in the party’s name for the local elections last year.
McCarthy denies any wrongdoing.
Sinn Féin has remained tight-lipped on the findings of the internal review which also resulted in the one-year suspension of Mallow-based councillor Melissa Mullane for “uncomradely behaviour”.
McCarthy told TheJournal.ie this morning that his solicitors have contacted Sinn Féin seeking “a lot of information” including documentation, minutes of meetings and “a lot of stuff that’s relevant to what the party has been saying”.
He said he intended to challenge the decision of the party to expel him and said that could include potential legal action.
Asked if he was consdiering suing the party, he said “it is an option”. He added:
“I really can’t say a lot more about that but put it this way, I will be challenging the decision.”
McCarthy, who was a member of Sinn Féin for 34 years, also said he has no intention of resigning his seat on Cork County Council despite party rules requiring him to do so.
There is no legal obligation for McCarthy to resign his local authority seat and he said today he intended to stay put.
He added he was “70 per cent in favour of standing” as an independent at the next general election.
Mullane, who has not responded to calls, told The Corkman newspaper last week that she will not be vacating her council seat despite being required by the party to do so.
She intends to appeal the decision to suspend her from Sinn Féin and has until the middle of next month to do so.
Sinn Féin has been contacted for comment.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say