Former Ontario PC leader Patrick Brown blasts accusers in new Facebook post
In a Facebook post, he says he has evidence that details of the allegations are false
Former Ontario Progressive Conservative leader Patrick Brown says on Facebook that sexual misconduct allegations against him contain details that he can prove are false and that he will continue to fight to clear his name.
"No words can describe the hurt and pain suffered by me and my family," he writes in the Facebook post, published on Sunday morning.
"For my family, for my constituents, and for the citizens of Ontario. I will now fight for my name and reputation."
Brown resigned as Ontario PC leader on Jan. 25 after the allegations by two women were made public.
He says the first accuser got a detail wrong in her story, in particular that the alleged incident occurred in a second-floor apartment bedroom, with the door closed.
Brown says that at the time of the alleged occurrence, he lived in an open concept, ground-floor apartment that did not have an upstairs bedroom nor a door to any bedroom in the residence.
Brown goes on to suggest that one of the CTV journalists who first reported the allegations against him had personal ties to one of the accusers.
"Interestingly, I understand from the first accuser's Facebook and from people we both know that she was housemates with a CTV reporter," Brown adds.
"I stopped her immediately and offered to drive her home, which I did. There are at least three witnesses, one of whom even spoke to CTV, that refute the details of her allegations. CTV left that out of the story," he says.
CTV News 'stands by its story'
Matthew Garrow, spokesperson for Bell Media, responded to Brown's Facebook post on Sunday in an email to CBC Toronto.
"CTV is aware of the claims made in Patrick Brown's Facebook post today and those reportedly made in his interview with the Toronto Sun. CTV News stands by its story," Garrow said in an email on Sunday.
Brown notes that one of his accusers continued to act as a supporter after the alleged incident. He says she attended his events, asking him to introduce her to colleagues to help her write articles, liked many of his Facebook posts and helped out on his leadership campaign.
"It is now known that this accuser and one of the reporters had a prior relationship. They both worked and socialized together. At no time did she ever act as someone who was anything but a friend and supporter," he says.
2 women not named in report
In a report on Jan. 24, CTV did not name the two women who have come forward with allegations that date back to when Brown was a federal MP. The women alleged the incidents occurred in his home in Barrie, Ont.
The report said the first accuser claimed she was in high school when Brown allegedly asked her to perform oral sex.
The report said the second accuser claimed she was a university student working in his constituency office when he allegedly tried to kiss her after an event she helped to organize.
In the post, Brown expresses support for the #MeToo movement, a hashtag used by women on social media to demonstrate how widespread the problem of sexual harassment and sexual assault is and to share their personal stories.
"The #MeToo movement is important. I support it. I embrace it. My drive to public service includes creating a safer and more respectful world for women," he says.
"The #MeToo movement is too important to allow outrageous allegations like these to derail it."
With files from The Canadian Press