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TORONTO — An independent investigation has cleared veteran journalist Steve Paikin after a Toronto woman accused him of sexual harassment.

Ontario’s public broadcaster commissioned the investigation in February in response to allegations made by former Toronto mayoral candidate Sarah Thomson.

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Thomson alleged Paikin propositioned her over lunch in 2010 and that she “politely” declined the offer. She further alleged that he made a sexualized comment at a political event two years later.

Photo by Dave Thomas

Paikin, host of TVOntario’s flagship current events program “The Agenda,” addressed the issue in a Facebook post a few days later, saying the allegations were “bogus” but that he had alerted his employer.

He continued to host the show during the investigation, which spanned 11 weeks and involved interviews with 21 witnesses.

The report released Friday says the allegations could not be substantiated and as a result, Paikin did not violate TVO’s policies.

TVO’s CEO, Lisa de Wilde, said in a statement that the broadcaster is proud of Paikin’s work and the investigation is now closed.