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Earlier this week, I said the truth will come out. I have been investigating the anonymous allegations against me and can prove they are false. I will clear my name.
The first accuser told a story about an incident that she claimed took place in my second floor, upstairs bedroom with the door closed. At the time of the alleged incident, I lived in a ground floor, open concept apartment and there was no second floor bedroom nor a door to any bedroom. THIS STORY IS FALSE. Interestingly, I understand from the first accuser's Facebook and from people we both know that she was housemates with a CTV reporter.
The second accuser's story is also absurdly false. It was she who tried to kiss me, while the woman I was seeing was in another room. 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.
Since the alleged incident, the accuser regularly presented herself as being my supporter and friend, including attending my events (she sat at a supporter table at my speech at the Economic Club of Canada in November 2016), requesting I connect her with my colleagues to help her write certain articles as recently as last year, liking a significant number of my Facebook posts long after she left my office, and, in fact, she even helped out on my 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. THIS STORY IS FALSE.
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. The #metoo movement is too important to allow outrageous allegations like these to derail it.
These past weeks have been hard. The hardest of my life. The night of January 24 was like being hit by a truck! No words can describe the hurt and pain suffered by me and my family. Yet, I find myself overwhelmed by the support for me across this beautiful province of ours. Thank you for believing me and believing in me. Thank you for your outrage at what happened to me.
I am a fighter. For my family, for my constituents, and for the citizens of Ontario. I will now fight for my name and reputation.