Patrick Brown has announced he’s dropping out of the race to lead the Ontario PC Party into the June election.
Brown issued a statement Monday afternoon saying he’d be leaving the race to get his old job back to focus on policy and to protect this family and friends from alleged attacks and threats they’ve faced.
His statement, posted on Twitter, says he’s quitting to “focus on holding CTV accountable.” CTV News published sexual impropriety allegations Jan. 24 that led to his abrupt resignation hours after the story ran. Brown has vigorously denied the allegations and has served a libel notice to CTV News. The network is standing by its reporting.
Interim leader Vic Fedeli thanked Brown in a statement saying Brown is “right to focus on clearing his name.”
Christine Elliott, Caroline Mulroney, Doug Ford, and Tanya Granic Allen remain in the race
To my friends and supporters in the Ontario PC Party. Attached is my statement on the Ontario PC Leadership Campaign. #PCPOLdr #onpoli pic.twitter.com/u5xbKqjwT7
— Patrick Brown (@brownbarrie) February 26, 2018