Newfoundland MP Scott Andrews says he has done āeverything in my power to clear my nameā amid allegations of personal misconduct, and will cease efforts to return to the federal Liberal caucus.
Andrews made his first public comments since the allegations surfaced last fall during a press conference Thursday at his constituency office in his riding of Avalon.
Andrews told reporters that he attempted to clear his name through two avenues, including providing investigator Cynthia Petersen with a āfrank and honest accountā to āensure a fair and restorative resolution of this matter.ā
After receiving and reading a copy of the executive summary of Petersenās report, Andrews said he is āsatisfied with the contents and findings.ā
He also said the entire process āhas been very frustrating and has been troublesome to me.ā
Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau suspended Andrews and Quebec MP Massimo Pacetti from caucus last November and ordered the investigation after two female NDP MPs made allegations against them.
Both men have maintained that they did nothing wrong.
Earlier this week, Ā鶹“«Ć½ reported that the executive summary includes complaints from other women, and that Trudeau will not allow either man to return to caucus.
Andrews said Thursday that he will serve the remainder of his term as an Independent, and will decide whether to run in the upcoming federal election.
Pacetti said Wednesday that he will remain the MP for Saint-Leonard ā Saint-Michel, but will not run again.
Andrews would not answer repeated questions about the exact allegations made against him.
In a statement before taking reporterās questions, Andrews said that he has ālearned a lot about myself in the past five months, particularly how my jovial Newfoundland personality can be perceived.ā
He added that he is learning about the value of other peopleās āpersonal space.ā
Asked later by a reporter whether there is truth to an allegation that he followed an NDP MP home and pressed himself against her, Andrews replied:
āIāve witnessed the worst side of politics in the last 24 hours and in the last six months, and I have learned that I donāt have it in me to be mean-spirited. So, Iām not going to respond to any of that, because I donāt want to be mean-spirited.ā
Asked whether he was suggesting that his jovial nature had been misconstrued, he said no, but he is a ājovial person by nature, and Iāve learned that I have to respect peopleās personal space.ā
Pressed about why he was not addressing the specific allegations, he said it came down to making āa personal decision putting me and my family first.ā
āI just want this to be over,ā he said.
Andrews said that, because he did not order the investigation, the executive summary is not his to make public. However, he has no objection to Trudeau releasing it in its entirety.
In a statement, Trudeau said Thursday he has received Petersenās ācomplete findingsā and accepts the decisions of Pacetti and Andrews to sit as independents and not seek the Liberal nominations in their ridings.
āAs such, I consider this matter closed,ā he said, adding that his party will implement training procedures and other measures to improve workplace safety and protections against harassment.
Trudeau will not offer further comment on the matter, his statement concluded.
The two NDP MPs who made the accusations against Andrews and Pacetti have chosen to remain unnamed.
One of the women, however, has detailed an alleged incident at a downtown Ottawa hotel room, where she said Pacetti asked her to join him for a drink last March. She said she intended to finish her drink and leave, but wasnāt able to. The woman described what happened as āsex without explicit consent,ā but didnāt elaborate on what exactly that allegation meant.
Another NDP MP told Liberal Party whip Judy Foote that Andrews allegedly forced himself on her, then verbally harassed her for a period of time. Sources say she refused to co-operate with the investigation.
Petersenās report, now in the hands of a small group of Liberals, according to sources, according to SOURCES does not paint a flattering picture of Pacetti and Andrewsā behaviour, both on and off Parliament Hill, CTVās Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fife reported earlier this week.
None of the allegations have been proven in court and no charges have been laid.
