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His departure leaves four people in the leadership race – Christine Elliott, Doug Ford, Caroline Mulroney and Tanya Granic Allen.

“I want to thank Patrick Brown for making the right decision for himself and the Ontario PC Party,” interim leader Vic Fedeli said in a statement. “He is right to focus on clearing his name.”

Brown told his closest advisers on Sunday night that he was withdrawing from the leadership race.

Photo by Wires / Files

The former leader was forced out after CTV News aired an interview with two young women who claimed he had sought sex from them.

Although one of the women later admitted she was not in high school at the time, both women continued to insist that the main allegations were correct.

Brown has flatly denied the claims, and subsequently joined the PC leadership contest, but said he did not want this news report to interfere with the PC party’s success.

In his statement, he said he plans to remain active in the conservative movement as a committed volunteer, donor and activist.

“I was proud to be the first PC Leader to lead an official delegation in the Toronto Pride Parade,” he said. “I was proud to welcome everyone into the PC Party no matter where they were born, who they love, what god they worship or the colour of their skin.”

After he entered the leadership race, PC MPP Randy Hillier filed a complaint with the Office of the Integrity Commissioner questioning how Brown was able to purchase an expensive waterfront home and asking who paid for his trips abroad.

Brown has said his personal banking information was obtained in violation of his privacy, and that his family helped him with the down payment and the PC Party paid for cultural missions to places like India.

Integrity Commissioner David Wake announced Monday he was launching an inquiry into Hillier`s complaint of “financial improprieties.“