Patrick Brown has ended his bid to run in the upcoming Ontario Progressive Conservative leadership race, after resigning as leader amid sexual misconduct allegations less than a month ago.
In a statement sent to the PC Party Executive Committee and the Leadership Election Organizing Committee on Monday, Brown cited three reasons for stepping back from the leadership race -- to focus on policy, his ongoing battle against sexual allegations cited by CTV, and protecting his family and friends.
Brown stepped down as Tory leader in late January, hours after CTV News reported that two unnamed women had come forward with “graphic sexual misconduct allegations” against him. The claims date back to when Brown served as a federal MP.
"It has become increasingly clear that I can not continue to try to dedicate my full attention to both missions at once," said Brown in his statement. "We have already achieved significant success in exposing the allegations as fabrication, but that effort has consumed a significant amount of my time. I simply can not run a provincial party leadership campaign and, if successful, square off against Kathleen Wynne in the most important election in a generation, while at the same time continuing my fight to prove that the allegations are lies."
Brown has called the allegations “categorically untrue” and said that the two women are lying.
"I also did not want to allow CTV's slanderous reporting to jeopardize my mission... There continues to be no complaint ever made to or investigation by the police about any alleged 'assault'," Brown said, adding that he intends to hold CTV accountable.
Earlier this month, Brown stated through Facebook that he intends to sue CTV. The television network said it continues to stand by its reporting.
Hours after Patrick Brown was removed from the Ontario Progressive Conservative Caucus last week, the former party leader entered the provincial PC leadership race in an attempt to regain his position.
Brown said his participation in the leadership race has been a "distraction" for some, and he accuses the media and his political adversaries of collaborating to target his friends and family.
"After a week of self-reflection, it is clear that the hit job perpetrated against me by CTV and my political adversaries continues to be a distraction from important discussions," he said. "Lifelong friends were [also] subjected to attacks as soon as I entered the leadership race. Shots were fired indiscriminately against anyone associated with me."
Brown said he plans to remain active in the PC party as a "committed volunteer, donor and activist."
“I want to thank Patrick Brown for making the right decision for himself and the Ontario PC Party," Interim Ontario PC Leader Vic Fedeli said in a statement. “He is right to focus on clearing his name.”