The Progressive Conservatives ejected MPP Michael Harris from caucus over allegations he had sexted an intern in 2013 — action the party took about two hours after the Star first made inquiries.

Harris, who was sitting in the Conservative benches during the morning question period Monday, was officially removed from the Tory ranks at noon.

“I had an embarrassing, inappropriate BBM conversation with a former employee. Nothing further ever happened,” he said in an interview.

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The MPP had announced Saturday he would not seek re-election in the June 7 vote due to his need for eye surgery.

His wife, Sarah Harris, then announced her plans over the weekend to run for the Kitchener-Conestoga nomination. They have four children.

“Mike’s taking responsibility and we’ve moved past it,” she told CTV in Kitchener.

The Star has learned that Harris was informed on Saturday at 1:25 a.m. via email that his nomination papers to run in the Waterloo-area riding would not be signed due to the allegation from the young woman who had once worked at Queen’s Park.

At 10:07 a.m. Monday, the Star asked Conservative Leader Doug Ford’s office about a “Friday conference call that was held to discuss Michael Harris’s candidacy.” There were 13 people on that call, including two MPPs.

At 11:57 a.m., the Tories rushed out a statement that Harris has been turfed from caucus, even though he had been seated with his PC colleagues in the Legislature for most of the hour-long question period.

“On the afternoon of Friday, April 6, an allegation against the MPP from Kitchener-Conestoga was brought forward,” said MPP Lisa Thompson, the PC caucus chair.

“The evidence presented to us included a written complaint from 2013 by a former intern about how she had been passed over for employment. There was also a series of text messages from the same time period, between the young intern and the MPP,” said Thompson (Huron-Bruce).

“These text messages were of a sexual nature. They included a discussion of potential part-time employment, as well as a request for her to send him photos, an invitation for her to meet with him late that evening, and reference to something that may have previously taken place in his legislative office.”

Sources say the explicit BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) texts were with an intern who had once worked for Harris.

Thompson, who was unaware of the situation until Monday morning, said when Harris was asked about the matter, he denied that a “formal” complaint was lodged.

“We convened an urgent meeting the same day with the provincial nominations committee (PNC). The PNC reviewed the evidence and unanimously decided to disqualify the MPP from being an Ontario PC candidate,” she said.

“As a result of this information, a decision has been made to remove Michael Harris, MPP, from the Ontario PC caucus effective immediately.”

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Sources said there had been a heated discussion during the lengthy Friday night conference call with one female MPP saying Harris should be given the benefit of the doubt.

“Why should he get the benefit of the doubt when we didn’t give Patrick Brown the benefit of the doubt?” another male MPP is said to have asked.

That was a reference to Brown, the former PC leader who was forced to resign on Jan. 25 after CTV News aired allegations of sexual impropriety against him.

He has denied any wrongdoing and is suing CTV News, which stands by its story.

That scandal rocked the Tories, triggering the leadership race that led to Ford’s victory on March 10.

“I became aware of this late Friday night,” the new leader said in a statement later Monday.

“The PNC met and made a decision early Saturday. At the first opportunity Vic Fedeli, on my behalf, informed caucus and the speaker that Michael Harris was no longer a member of the PC caucus,” he said.

“We have a zero-tolerance policy with regard to inappropriate workplace behaviour. This has no place in the PC Party of Ontario.”

But Liberal campaign co-chair Deb Matthews wondered why the Tories let Harris put out his own statement Saturday about retiring for health reasons, but did not take punitive action against him until midday Monday.

“When an issue comes to light, when someone finds the strength to tell their story, can those in positions of power take those complaints seriously and act to protect others? It falls to Mr. Ford to let us know what happened in this specific matter,” said Matthews.

“The right questions are being asked about the timeline that led to Mr. Harris being removed from the Conservative caucus. Ultimately this situation and the decisions around communicating it to the public rest with the leader. What did Doug Ford know about it, and what decision did he make?”

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath agreed the onus is on Ford “to explain when he learned of the allegations of Michael Harris’s misconduct with an intern and what role he played in Harris’s attempt to cover up it up.”

“Sexual harassment or assault is not acceptable in any workplace, and political parties need to believe and support women,” said Horwath.

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