By Canadian Press

CTV expresses ‘regrets’ over errors included in Patrick Brown article

Mar 9, 2022 | 11:42 AM

TORONTO — CTV News is expressing “regrets” over errors included in a segment that torpedoed Patrick Brown’s career in provincial politics.

A statement sent by the broadcaster and Brown’ s office says “key details provided to CTV … were factually incorrect and required correction” in the 2018 news story alleging sexual misconduct. 

It does not specify what those details were.

The statement, sent Wednesday, says CTV and Brown have resolved their legal dispute after Brown brought an an $8-million defamation suit against CTV News over the story.

The original article, published in January 2018, includes a correction that updates only the age of one of two women who accused Brown of sexual misconduct.

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CTV initially reported that the woman was under the legal drinking age and still in high school when Brown allegedly asked her to perform oral sex, but later amended the article to say she was older.

That correction was made within a month of the story’s publication and CTV stood by the rest of its reporting, though Brown continues to deny any wrongdoing.

The allegations have not been proven in court.

“CTV National News regrets including those details in the story and any harm this may have caused to Mr. Brown,” the statement reads. 

The news coverage prompted Brown to resign as leader of the Ontario Progressive Conservatives, though he successfully ran for mayor of Brampton, Ont., that same year.

Neither Brown nor CTV commented on any other terms of the settlement.

It comes as Brown publicly mulls a run for leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada, with his camp saying his decision is imminent. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 9, 2022.

The Canadian Press