Former Ontario Tory leader Patrick Brown challenges accusers to press charges
Woman who accused Brown of sexual misconduct now says she wasn’t underage
Patrick Brown’s denial of sexual misconduct allegations went up another notch Wednesday as the former leader of Ontario’s Progressive Conservatives challenged his accusers to go to police and file formal complaints.
In a lengthy Facebook post, Brown also accused CTV News of defamation for broadcasting the allegations from two unnamed women that date back to when he was a federal MP.
The accusations, which prompted Brown’s resignation last month, have not been verified by The Canadian Press.
In late January, CTV reported that one woman, who is now 29, claimed she was still in high school and under the legal drinking age when Brown allegedly asked her to perform oral sex on him. Another woman said she was a university student working in Brown’s constituency office when he sexually assaulted her at his home, CTV reported.
Late Tuesday, CTV reported that the first accuser now said she had not been in high school or under the legal drinking age during the alleged incident. The woman said the altered timeline did not change the core of her allegations and noted she had been subject to demeaning and misogynistic comments online since the story broke.
Brown called the change in the narrative “monumental.’’
“Here is my message to CTV News. You lied. You defamed me,’’ he said in his Facebook post. “And here is my message to my accusers _ both of them. If you truly stand by your allegations, then I urge you to contact Barrie Police and have them lay charges.’’
CTV News said it stands by its reporting. “Patrick Brown’s allegations regarding our reporting are false,’’ CTV’s communications director Matthew Garrow said. “His attacks on our journalistic practices are groundless and wrong. CTV News continues to ask Patrick Brown if he thinks the two women accusing him of sexual misconduct are lying. He has yet to respond.’’
The woman who had altered her timeline on her allegations told CTV she stands by her accusations.