Pressure is mounting on Progressive Conservative Leader Patrick Brown to discipline Jack MacLaren after the controversial MPP was forced to remove fake testimonials from his official website.

MacLaren, who had to apologize last week after the Star revealed he humiliated a female Liberal MP with a sexist joke at a cancer fundraising dinner in Carp, Ont., is in trouble again.

The Ottawa Citizen discovered the Carleton-Mississippi Mills MPP had adorned his official website with praise from phoney “constituents.”

“Thanks for everything you did to help me resolve my problem with the Ministry of Transportation,” said “Darren,” from Mississippi Mills, Ont., beside his alleged photograph.

But the Citizen found “Darren” is actually Sam Muirhead, a New Zealand-born software developer who lives in Berlin, Germany.

Muirhead told the newspaper “unless I have a secret evil Canadian twin, Darren does not exist.”

There was also a discrepancy over “Scott” from Almonte, Ont.

“Thank you for getting my OHIP card. After trying myself, for a year and a half, I was ready to give up,” he said on MacLaren’s website.

However, the photo of “Scott” was taken by a photographer in the Netherlands and has been swirling around the Internet for almost a decade.

After the embarrassing story was published Tuesday night, a new message popped up on the Tory MPP’s website.

“Disclaimer: In order to maintain the privacy of constituents, stock photos and generic names have been used,” it said beneath the six testimonials from “constituents” represented by a telegenic, multicultural group of headshots.

Hours later the offending page was removed and MacLaren issued a terse apology.

“Measures were taken to protect the privacy of individuals who provided positive feedback to my office,” the MPP said in a statement Wednesday.

“While this was not intended to be misleading, I recognize that it was improper. I apologize and have asked for the content to be removed immediately.”

He then huddled in the foyer of the legislature with Brown’s advisers for 70 minutes after the morning question period, hoping to duck the media.

“I apologize and we have removed it from my website and we’re sorry it happened. Thank you very much,” MacLaren eventually told a large throng of reporters, before hightailing it for his office two floors above with cameras in chase on the marble staircase.

His entire MPP’s website was then taken offline.

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Surprisingly, Brown — who was stuck answering for MacLaren’s transgressions for the second time in a week — had yet to discuss the newest problem with the gaffe-prone member.

“Internal party discipline matters are private, but I will weigh my options once I gather all the details. This has come out rather quickly and I’m going to do my due diligence,” said the Tory leader.

Brown refused to discuss the punishment options available, which could include ejecting MacLaren from caucus.

Sources said late Wednesday the troublesome MPP had been demoted from his ceremonial role as chair of the Tories’ Eastern Ontario caucus, a symbolic body that has never held a meeting with him at the helm. It will now be chaired by Jim McDonell (Stormont-Dundas-South Glengarry).

While some PC activists are alarmed at the damage MacLaren’s antics are causing, Brown insisted he isn’t worried about the party’s reputation taking a hit as he tries to rebuild the Conservative brand after four consecutive election losses to the Liberals.

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath pointed out “everybody’s real on my website.”

“There’s an expectation that you’re truthful with the public and anything that looks as if you’re not being truthful really doesn’t go over very well,” she said.

Conservatives at Queen’s Park were abuzz over MacLaren.

“Patrick needs to do something. This hurts us all,” said one senior PC official, speaking on condition of anonymity.

“This is a problem,” admitted another Tory insider.

Michele Austin, a prominent Ottawa Conservative who lives in MacLaren’s riding, said enough is enough.

“His sign won’t be going on my lawn next time, that’s for sure. Frankly, I think he should consider retirement. He has clearly lost touch with his constituents,” said Austin, who was chief of staff to two ministers in former prime minister Stephen Harper’s government.

“There are absolutely no reasonable explanations for his actions,” she said.

The website fiasco is the most recent setback triggered by the maverick MPP.

On March 24, he told a vulgar joke about Liberal MP Karen McCrimmon (Kanata-Carleton) at a March 24 charity event that both were attending.

MacLaren urged a reluctant McCrimmon to the stage in Carp, put his arm around her shoulder then made a comment about her body.

“I’m not getting behind you,” the MPP said, as he shifted on stage before reading the prepared text of an oral sex “joke” about McCrimmon and her husband.

Two weeks later — after the Star revealed the story and Brown called him on the carpet — MacLaren finally emailed McCrimmon to apologize.

“He has embarrassed the entire group by making such crude comments at their event. These are wonderful people who work so hard for their community. They deserve better than that,” the Liberal MP said at the time.