BREAKING: Ontario PC Leader Slammed With Sexual Misconduct Allegations

[mentalfloss]

Not reported just yet, but he's held an emergency meeting and more details to follow.

Crazy scene where reporters are chasing after him to confirm details after his denial of the allegations.

This will be a game changer.



Ontario PC Leader Patrick Brown holding unexpected news conference at Queen's Park

Journalists have been urgently called to a news conference by Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader Patrick Brown, at the provincial legislature.

The conference is expected to start at 9:45 p.m. ET.

More to come

Ontario PC Leader Patrick Brown holding unexpected news conference at Queen's Park - Toronto - CBC News


PC leader Patrick Brown faces sexual misconduct allegations

Ontario Progressive Conservative leader Patrick Brown is denying allegations of sexual impropriety dating back to his days as a federal member of Parliament.

“These allegations are false,” Brown said Wednesday in an extraordinary nighttime news conference at Queen’s Park in Toronto. “Every one of them. I will defend myself as hard as I can, with all the means at my disposal. I can’t speculate on the motive of my accusers, I can only say they what they are saying is categorically untrue.”

He called the press conference just ahead of a report on CTV’s national news, promising graphic allegations of misconduct from two women.

“It’s never OK for anyone to feel they have been a victim of sexual harassment or feel threatened in any way,” Brown said. “We need to move forward to eradicate sexual violence and harassment across the province, across the country. Everywhere.”

He suggested he will sue his accusers: “I know that the court of public opinion moves fast. I have instructed my attorneys to ensure that these allegations are addressed where they should be: in a court of law,” he said.

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/pc-leader-patrick-brown-faces-sexual-misconduct-allegations

 

[Curious Cdn]

The Liberals have been in power waaay too long in Ontario and power corrupts ... a lot. I am inclined to view this as a set-up by smarty-ass Liberal operatives who are trying to rescue themselves from impending doom. If there is any truth to the allegations, then goodbye Patrick and good riddance. If there isn't any truth to it then goodbye Liberals and good riddance.

 

[mentalfloss]

One was still in high school when she says Brown, a well-known Barrie politician, asked her to perform oral sex on him.

The other, a university student who worked in his office when Brown was a federal Conservative MP, alleges Brown sexually assaulted her following an event she helped organize.

Both incidents are alleged to have happened inside Brown’s home in Barrie, Ont., after the women had been drinking in his presence.

Brown, a well-reported teetotaler, was not drinking alcohol at the time of the alleged incidents, both women told CTV News.

CTV News has agreed to protect the identities of the women who have come forward.

The first incident occurred more than 10 years ago. The woman, a high school student in Barrie at the time, said she and a mutual friend met Brown at a bar.

Brown then invited them back to his home and provided them with alcohol, though the woman was under the legal drinking age at the time.

She says she was drunk when Brown invited her for a tour of his home. When the pair entered the bedroom, Brown closed the door and exposed his penis to her.

"He pulled down his pants said, and I don’t know if he said 'suck my dick' or 'put this in your mouth,' but something along those lines,” she said.

The woman alleges that he then asked her to perform oral sex, which she did for a short time before stopping.

“It was like a controlling thing… like I just remember I wanted to go, but that wasn’t happening."

She says she then left his house and went to a nearby friend’s place.

"He's an old, single, politician preying on young girls. He’s just a sad person," the now-29 year old said.

Another woman came forward with a similar story, detailing her time working for the MP in then-prime minister Stephen Harper’s government.

She spoke to CTV News in an on-camera interview.

She said she met the then-Conservative MP in November 2012 on an Air Canada flight when she was 18, coming home from university.

Hours after the flight, at 11:21 p.m. -- a time that was verified by social media accounts viewed by CTV News -- Brown sent the woman a message: "Are you impressed I remembered your name? I am.. LOL"

Brown gave the woman his phone number and the names of Barrie bars that he’d be at that night, offering her help to skip any lineups, even though she was 18 at the time -- below Ontario’s legal drinking age.

"I kinda laughed it off as an older man… hitting on me," the former staffer said.

She didn't take him up on the offer, but months later when she was looking for a summer job she reached out to Brown and asked if he had any openings or if he knew of other opportunities.

After an interview in his Parliament Hill office, Brown hired her to work in his Barrie constituency office.

Brown tasked her with organizing the Hockey Night in Barrie charity game he hosts annually. Emails from Brown viewed by CTV News confirmed this.

"You know you are my favourite " writes Brown in an email to the woman days before the Aug. 15, 2013 event.

At an after-party in a now-closed local nightclub, The Bank, the woman says Brown and others provided her with a string of free alcoholic beverages. She was by then legal age.

"It was too many to count," the former staffer said.

When the bar closed, the party moved to Brown's home, all captured on social media.

The woman says she was extremely drunk when Brown invited her and a male friend of his to Brown’s bedroom to look at photographs of a trip to Asia stored on his iPad.

Brown's friend then left, leaving her and Brown to sit alone on the bed.

"The next thing I know he's kissing me. Sitting beside me, kissing me and then I was, I kind of just froze up. He continued to kiss me and he laid me down on the bed and got on top of me. I remember consciously trying not to move my mouth and I was just not moving, so I was laying there immobile and he kept kissing me," she said.

"I felt it was sexual. I could feel his erection on my legs when he was on top of me so I felt that it would have gone to sexual intercourse if I had not done anything," she said. "I would characterize that as a sexual assault."

"That scenario, like of a very inebriated young employee in the bedroom of her boss, alone with him, who hasn’t had a drop of alcohol all night, just that’s an intimidating situation and I was not sure what to do about it," the former staffer said.

She told him to stop, saying she had a boyfriend and told Brown to take her home, which he did, driving her back to her parents’ house.

The woman said she did not report it to authorities or otherwise because she didn’t know what options she had, and tried to move on.

"I didn’t think that there was any sort of recourse that I could take because I did think this is something that in maybe in another job, I would go to maybe HR about. But I didn’t feel, I didn’t even know who HR was in this context. Particularly being in a constituency office. I mean, I just didn’t know what to do."

https://www.ctvnews.ca/mobile/polit...sconduct-allegations-from-two-women-1.3774686

 

[Curious Cdn]

If any of this is fabricated, Mentalfloss ... and the timing is seriously suspect, Wynne and Co. will form the third party at Queen's Park for the next half decade.

 

[mentalfloss]

Moments after the news conference, Brown's campaign manager, chief of staff and deputy manager resigned.

"Earlier today, all three of us became aware of allegations about Patrick Brown. After speaking with him, our advice was that he should resign as PC Party leader. He did not accept that advice," Andrew Boddington, Alykhan Velshi and Dan Robertson said in a joint statement.

"We have therefore resigned our positions."

Ontario PC Leader Patrick Brown denies sexual misconduct allegations - Toronto - CBC News


“Mr. Brown will have to go.” — PC MPP Randy Hillier.

https://twitter.com/davidreevely/status/956364948879355905


BREAKING: NDP Leader @AndreaHorwath says @brownbarrie "must resign, immediately. He deserves his day in court, but no person can lead a political party in this province with allegations like these hanging over his head.” #onpoli

https://twitter.com/robertbenzie/status/956367540925730816

 

[WLDB]

Whether he did it or not this will probably sink him in June. He already wasn’t all that popular even within his own party.

 

[OmegaOm]

One thing we do not need is non scientific corporate conservatives running Ontario.
Don;t like the liberals either. Im green but We can at least hope for NDP to get in maybe.

 

[Hoid]

there's an Ontario PC leader?

 

[IdRatherBeSkiing]

One thing we do not need is non scientific corporate conservatives running Ontario.
Don;t like the liberals either. Im green but We can at least hope for NDP to get in maybe.

Bob Rae pretty much assured that the NDP will never form a government in Ontario ever again.

 

[tay]

I was lounging in bed at 10 when he gave a speech.


Talk about 'deer in the headlights'. I suspect he had no way of knowing this would come out so many years later, if it's true.........

 

[spaminator]

PC Leader Patrick Brown steps down amid sexual misconduct allegations
Antonella Artuso
More from Antonella Artuso
Published:
January 25, 2018
Updated:
January 25, 2018 6:06 AM EST
Ontario’s PC leader is stepping down amid allegations of sexual misconduct, dealing a severe blow to his party just months before the province heads to the polls.
Patrick Brown announced the decision in a statement issued early Thursday morning, following a hastily-called news conference in which the Progressive Conservative leader “categorically” denied what he called “troubling allegations” about his conduct and his character.
In the statement, Brown said that after consulting with caucus, friends and family, he decided to step down as leader but would stay on as a member of the provincial legislature to clear his name.
He said “these allegations are false and have been difficult to hear” and that defeating Liberal Premier Kathleen Wynne in the upcoming provincial election is “more important than one individual.”
Earlier, a dishevelled and emotional Brown appeared alone before a hastily-called late-night media conference at Queen’s Park Wednesday where he denied the allegations and vowed to fight them.
“I’ve instructed my attorneys to ensure that these allegations are addressed where they should be — in the court of law,” Brown said. “In short, I reject these accusations in the strongest possible terms. It’s not my values. It’s not how I was raised. It’s not who I am.”
When asked if he would be staying on as leader, a fleeing Brown said, “I’ll be at work tomorrow.”
Leader of the Ontario PC party Patrick Brown is foliowed by media after addressing allegations against him at Queen’s Park in Toronto, Ont. on Wednesday January 24, 2018. Ernest Doroszuk/Toronto Sun/Postmedia Network
Three senior members of Brown’s political team — Andrew Boddington, Alykhan Velshi and Dan Robertson — released a statement saying they had advised him to resign. When he refused, the trio — his campaign manager, chief of staff and deputy campaign manager — resigned instead.
His press secretary Nick Bergamini also quit, and tweeted that it is in the best interest of the PC party that he immediately step down.
Brown’s media conference came two hours after he learned that CTV News would be airing complaints by two women of sexual misconduct. The news outlet did not identify the complainants.
One woman told CTV News that she was a teenager in high school more than 10 years ago when she and a friend met Brown, a politician, in a local Barrie bar.
The woman alleged Brown brought them to his home, gave her alcohol, exposed his penis and asked her to perform oral sex.
Leader of the Ontario PC party Patrick Brown arrives to address allegations against him at Queen’s Park in Toronto, Ont. on Wednesday January 24, 2018. Ernest Doroszuk/Toronto Sun/Postmedia Network
A former staff member that served in Brown’s federal constituency office when he was an MP in Stephen Harper’s Conservative government accused him of sexual assault.
The woman, who was in university at the time of the alleged incident in 2013, alleged he began aggressively kissing her without her permission.
She described herself as inebriated. Brown is well known not to drink.
Brown said the allegations are categorically untrue, and that he believes it’s never OK to make anyone feel like a victim of sexual harassment or threatened in any way.
“A safe and respectful society is what we expect and deserve, and no one appreciates that more than I do. I’ve got two younger sisters who are my best friends. I’ve grown up in a family that has taught me good values,” Brown said.
Leader of the Ontario PC party Patrick Brown is foliowed by media after addressing allegations against him at Queen’s Park in Toronto, Ont. on Wednesday January 24, 2018. Ernest Doroszuk/Toronto Sun/Postmedia Network
After making his short statement, Brown rushed off to a waiting van with the media peppering him with questions that went largely unanswered.
The stunning revelations come as Brown was riding high in the polls heading into a June provincial election with the possibility of gaining a majority government.
“I know the court of public opinion moves fast,” Brown said, appearing to acknowledge the implications that similar allegations have meant for other high-profile people.
Premier Kathleen Wynne said in a tweet Wednesday night that it’s a difficult and brave thing for these women to come forward.
“My government and I have been clear on the issue of sexual harassment and assault. In fact our policy and our ad were called, ‘It’s Never Okay.’”
NDP Leader Andrea Horwath issued a statment saying, “I’m disgusted and disturbed by these sexual misconduct allegations.
“Patrick Brown must resign, immediately. He deserves his day in court, but no person can lead a political party in this province with allegations like these hanging over his head.”
PC MPP Lisa MacLeod issued a statement in support of the women who’ve come forward, saying they deserve support and thanks.
“My heart goes out to the women who have been impacted by this behaviour,” she said, not naming Brown.
— With files from CP
aartuso@postmedia.com
PC Leader Patrick Brown steps down amid sexual misconduct allegations | Toronto Sun

 

[Curious Cdn]

One thing we do not need is non scientific corporate conservatives running Ontario.
Don;t like the liberals either. Im green but We can at least hope for NDP to get in maybe.

If there had been an election yesterday, The NDP would have ended up as the Official Opposition with the Liberals as a third place rump. We shall see where this goes. If Brown is found guilty, it hurts the Conservatives. If he is found to be innocent, the Liberals will be crucified. If some random girls come forth about being sexually harassed by Wynne, we may as well join the US and vote for Trump.

 

[Danbones]

Being found guilty never hurt yer good friend bill clinton much did it...other then the cost of the payouts he has made.

and oddly enough, since there was no election yesterday, we can discount all that part of your post as fake news.


This is just more liebarrel bullcrap being played from the same old tired playbook of goebellian BS.

as usual

PS
Did they ever prove anything against roy moore?
no they did not.

 

[Curious Cdn]

Being found guilty never hurt yer good friend bill clinton much did it...other then the cost of the payouts he has made.

and oddly enough there was no electionyesterday so we can discount all that part of your post as fake news

"...my good friend Bill ..."

My good friend would have been McCain had he been elected and had he not chosen a blithering idiot as his running mate.

 

[Danbones]

yup your good friend the sexual predator bill
LOL
MCCAIN the hanoi songbird?
yeah that figures

 

[mentalfloss]

It was never really a question of whether the Ontario PCs would screw up the election this time around, but how.

A toddler always manages to find the one uncovered electrical outlet in the house. Your tire practically seeks out that little rusty nail lying imperceptibly on a five-lane highway. And the leader of the Ontario PC party will, ahead of a totally winnable election, score in his own net by promising to fund all religious schools or vowing to fire 100,000 public-sector workers.

Many will see now-former Ontario PC leader Patrick Brown's score-in-his-own-net moment as occurring sometime Wednesday evening, when he literally fled from reporters after making a few trembling remarks denying reports of serious sexual misconduct. But the PCs arguably bungled this one way earlier, before reporters would chase the Opposition leader down the steps at Queen's Park.

Almost immediately after he left the podium, Brown's senior staff released a statement announcing their own resignations, noting that they had asked him to step down but that he had refused. The premier, the leader of the Ontario NDP and members of Brown's own caucus would all join the fray, turning the situation into a full-blown crisis within hours. In the early hours of Thursday morning, Brown finally announced his resignation.

There was certainly no way Brown could've survived this, but we should resist the urge to see this particular incident as Brown's own patented PC-screw-up-moment. For one, sexual misconduct is not the same thing as an ill-conceived campaign flub: it is sinister, malignant, and reflects a fundamental deficiency as a person, not simply a politician.

In any case, it would be shortsighted to see Wednesday evening as the PC's boomerang torpedo moment; that process actually began nearly two years ago, when the party first elected Patrick Brown as its leader. It's just that the explosion only happened now.

http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/opinion/patrick-brown-resignation-1.4503051

 

[Curious Cdn]

yup your good friend the sexual predator bill
LOL
MCCAIN the hanoi songbird?
yeah that figures

I'm sure that you've had a lot more experience with sexual predators than I have so I will defer to your obvious expertise.

 

[mentalfloss]

I have to say that I am heartened by the fact that the PC party and Brown decided to take this course of action, regardless of whether or not the allegations are ultimately true. It is something Trump and Roy Moore should have done as well but this just shows how the Canadian political system is healthy, while the American one is dysfunctional.

 

[Curious Cdn]

I have to say that I am heartened by the fact that the PC party and Brown decided to take this course of action, regardless of whether or not the allegations are ultimately true. It is something Trump and Roy Moore should have done as well but this just shows how the Canadian political system is healthy, while the American one is dysfunctional.

If the allegations are falsified, we'll see just how "healthy" our political system really is.

 

[mentalfloss]

Except for the fact that they made the right decision, whether they are true or not.

Wynne should call a snap election.