Ex-MLA denies lobbying Sinn F茅in MP over standards probe
Patrick Brown said the claims were "further politicking"
- Published
A former Alliance Party assembly member has denied lobbying a Sinn F茅in MP over a standards investigation into his conduct.
Patrick Brown said the claims were "further politicking" after Chris Hazzard said he felt "uneasy" about the approach.
Details of the Sinn F茅in allegation are contained
The commissioner had been investigating how confidential information about a probe into Mr Brown had been leaked to the media.
It focused on a complaint into Brown's conduct towards Shimna Integrated College in Newcastle, County Down.
Investigations by the commissioner Melissa McCullough are considered by the Northern Ireland Assembly's standards and privileges committee.
It is made up of members of the legislative assembly (MLAs) and recommends to the wider assembly whether any sanctions should be imposed.
'A quick chat'
Hazzard claimed Brown had asked to meet him in his office
In an email to the commissioner on 22 April, Hazzard claimed Mr Brown had asked to meet him in his office on 4 March 鈥渇or a quick chat鈥.
The South Down MP added: 鈥淗e then proceeded to ask that I use whatever influence I had to ensure he had a fair hearing from the committee.
鈥淗e stressed that he believed the complaint was vacuous but he wasn鈥檛 being given a fair opportunity to put forward his case.鈥
Hazzard described it as an 鈥渋nappropriate approach鈥, and said he told Mr Brown he would not be speaking to any committee member about the issue.
鈥淚n all honesty I didn鈥檛 really think about the discussion again for a few weeks but recently it has sat uneasy on my mind and I felt it was best to bring it to your attention,鈥 he added.
The following day, the Alliance Party issued a statement saying that Mr Brown had resigned 鈥渨ith immediate effect due to personal reasons鈥.
In July the committee published its report, which found Mr Brown breached Stormont's code of conduct in his actions towards the integrated school.
Brown described the complaint against him as "vexatious".
The committee decided not to examine Hazzard鈥檚 claims further, saying it was 鈥渘ot an effective use of public resources鈥.
Brown added that the standards and privileges committee did not approach him about Hazzard's claims during the investigation and said "if there were any merit to these claims they would have been included in the Commissioner鈥檚 report".
'Unauthorised disclosure of confidential information'
Hazzard鈥檚 correspondence was disclosed on Friday in a report by the commissioner into alleged leaks to the media.
It followed a complaint by Brown over 成人快手 News NI making enquiries earlier this year about Hazzard鈥檚 email.
The commissioner鈥檚 129-page report found there had been an 鈥渦nauthorised disclosure of confidential information鈥.
Brown said that he was glad the committee had investigated the breach and put in place safeguards for future, but was disappointed that the origin of the breach was not identified.
Sinn F茅in MLA Car谩l N铆 Chuil铆n, chair of the standards committee, said measures have been introduced to 鈥渇urther strengthen its confidentiality procedures鈥.
She said it is 鈥渋mperative that the confidentiality of complaints is upheld until the consideration, investigation and adjudication of complaints has concluded鈥.