The chief financial officer in each of the two Progressive Conservative Party riding associations with direct ties to former leader Patrick Brown resigned over the last week, but party officials say there’s “no untoward reason” behind the decisions.

Within the last week, the CFO in both the Simcoe North and Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte associations stepped aside, Simcoe.com has learned. Brown, who is re-seeking the leadership of the party, is the current MPP in Simcoe North and the nominated candidate in Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte for June’s provincial election.

“Our CFO advised us that he was stepping down for personal reasons. He is busy with his job and family and, like many of us, struggles to find time to volunteer for any association,” Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte PC riding association president Garry Perkins said. “He said he will definitely help the association transition to a new CFO and brief him on the position (and) will even stay on the association as a board member if needed, but simply doesn’t have time for CFO duties. These volunteer positions can be time consuming.”

Perkins said the outgoing CFO helped set up the riding association in 2016.

Scott Macpherson, vice-president of the Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte association and past-president in Simcoe North, said CFOs for both groups “happened” to have resigned around the same time for "no untoward reason."

The Simcoe North CFO “has done it for two years and just wants to move on,” Macpherson said.

In Twitter posts over the last few days, Lanark-Frontenac-Lennox and Addington MPP Randy Hillier had suggested a CFO for Brown’s riding association resigned “when directed to engage in unethical expenditure of funds."

He claims to have evidence of further ethical breaches and dishonest behaviour under Brown’s direction and plans to make that information public at a later date.

Hillier, who has expressed support for another leadership candidate, did not specify the riding association to which he was referring. He did not immediately respond to an interview request Feb. 20.

“Over the next weeks you may hear or see stories questioning my integrity, character and my leadership of our Party,” Brown said in a Facebook post Tuesday. “These stories and accusations come from people who feel backed into a corner by the choices they have made, rather than any choice or decision I have ever made. I trusted many of those individuals and believed until three weeks ago they were on my side. I can no longer stand by and let any accusation go unchecked.”