The resignations of two chief financial officers in area Progressive Conservative ridings have “absolutely nothing” to do with recent accusations of financial wrongdoing, according to a local riding executive.
Scott Macpherson, vice-president of the PCs’ Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte riding association and past president of the party’s Simcoe North riding association, said the resignation of both groups’ CFOs “is just coincidental.”
Patrick Brown, who is Simcoe North’s MPP and is a candidate for Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte in the June election, stepped down as party leader late last month after being accused of sexual misconduct, allegations he denies. He was expelled from the Tory caucus and has since signed up to reclaim his job. He will face a vetting committee Tuesday night, which will determine whether he can run for the leadership job.
While Macpherson said local support for Brown seems strong, one of the PCs’ own MPPs issued a statement Sunday levelling serious accusations against Brown.
“There is evidence of financial impropriety that was undertaken under Brown’s direction and leadership that he must answer to,” Randy Hillier, MPP for Lanark-Frontenac-Lennox and Addington, said in a statement he posted to his Twitter account.
“He must explain and answer for not only the 70,000 fraudulent memberships, but also the $700,000 that those memberships represent,” the statement reads, adding, “that money is missing.”
Macpherson said there is “no substance” to Hillier’s accusations.
“The timing is suspicious,” Macpherson said. “He clearly does not support Patrick. He supports another candidate.”
Macpherson would not identify the CFOs who resigned locally, other than to say they are certified professional accountants whose roles with the riding associations were on a volunteer basis.
The CFO for the Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte riding association decided to step down after serving in that role for two years, Macpherson said, while his counterpart for Simcoe North “had wanted to relinquish it for a few months.”
“It has absolutely nothing to do with Mr. Hillier or Patrick,” he said.
Asked if the CFOs still support Brown, Macpherson said, “As far as I know, they do.”
Macpherson sees these latest developments simply as distractions, and said the party is still unified in terms of its ultimate objective.
“Most of us are clearly aware that there is a goal that we are all seeking, and that is to form the next government of Ontario,” he said.
