The first hints of trouble came when aspiring NDP candidate Morgan Wheeldon vanished from the party’s official website and his own campaign page was reduced to a blank slate.

Then late Sunday, Brad Lavigne, senior campaign adviser for the New Democrats, confirmed by email that Wheeldon had resigned as the party’s candidate for the Nova Scotia riding of Kings-Hants in the federal election.

“We were made aware of some information that had not previously been disclosed. When we approached Mr. Wheeldon with this information, he submitted his resignation,” wrote Lavigne.

The “information” to which he refers is believed to be a comment made by Wheeldon last year on Facebook regarding Israel’s attack on Gaza.

“Our position on the conflict in the Middle East is clear, as Tom Mulcair expressed clearly in the debate,” Lavigne said. “Mr. Wheeldon’s comments are not in line with that policy and he is no longer our candidate.”

Wheeldon, 33, was prominently featured on a Conservative attack website that highlights his Facebook comment.

“One could argue that Israel’s intention was always to ethnically cleanse the region — there are direct quotations proving this to be the case. Guess we just sweep that under the rug,” his Facebook post reads in part. “A minority of Palestinians are bombing buses in response to what appears to be a calculated effort to commit a war crime.”

A supporter defended Wheeldon Sunday, tweeting that the entire matter is “a Harper smear.” Wheeldon replied: “I am disappointed in Canadian democracy today, but I remain hopeful.”

The Star’s request for comment Sunday night was not returned by Wheeldon or Kings-Hants riding president Judy Swift.

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