Takedown: The Attempted Political Assassination of

"We were making great strides towards a more inclusive, modern, business savvy Ontario. Six months out from the election we already had 90 of 124 candidates in place and actively campaigning. We had just unveiled a home-run platform that put us on the front page of every newspaper. With 170 days to go before the election even the media was touting that I would be the next Premier of Ontario. Instead, on January 24th, 2018, I was all but assassinated in public. Who did it, how, and more importantly why? This is a story of betrayal, blackmail, and backroom politicking involving some of Canada's biggest political names. This was my dream, this was my nightmare.

I'm Patrick Brown, and this is my story."

Now in this updated version of the book we take readers from the day the book was published in November 2018 up to his announcement to run for the Leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada and to become the next Prime Minister of Canada.

On March 6, 2022, CTV announced they had reached a settlement with Patrick Brown. An apology for their shoddy journalism that had not even been properly vetted before they aired their story leading to Patrick Browns resignation as leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario. CTV's anchor Lisa LaFlamme along with senior journalist Glen Macgregor were so anxious to have the biggest Me-To moment they forget how to conduct a proper interview with the key source that they relied on their false reporting on the women’s age. 

LaFlamme reported the woman was a high school student and underaged in a Bar where she supposedly met Brown. Optimum has listened to the interview between Laflamme and AE (the accuser) as she asks LaFlamme, "why am I here'? The veteran anchor goes on to try to lead the source down her desired. Path. Optimum reviewed audio tape recordings as part of our publishing house's due diligence process on Brown and his story as presented in the book which was launched with national media attention.

All of this should lead to the questions addressed in the book. Who wanted Patrick Brown removed as leader of the PC Party of Ontario?.

CTV now reports that the accuser of Patrick Brown recounts key piece: she was not underage in bar and not in high school but she "stands by her core story" and CTV stands by their original story. In a court of law this would shred a case. CTV credibility is on very, very thin ice. - John Wright, Author, Pollster, and Spokesperson Angus Reid Group and Ipsos

Both of the two women's stories about @brownbarrie are falling apart simultaneously. Never seen anything like this in Canadian journalism. Even in the US, only comparable example I can think of is Dan Rather's "memogate" in 2004 (also before an election). - Jonathan Kay, former editor-in-chief of The Walrus

Brown was certainly known as a lady's man but this story had no basis in fact as CTV tried to portray Brown to their audience as some sort of sexual predator of teenage women. He was later forced to resign in the middle of the night by his caucus and some of his closest handlers. It seems some of them had coveted his job and were anxious to have him removed that very night rather than allowing Brown to clear his name.

From CTV News

"Key details provided to CTV for the story were factually incorrect and required correction. CTV National News regrets including those details in the story and any harm this may have caused to Mr. Brown," reads the update agreed upon by both parties.

The story had been updated to reflect the first woman’s revised recollection of her age at the time of the alleged events.

In response to the 2018 report, Brown filed a defamation lawsuit against CTV News, seeking $8 million in damages. However, no money was exchanged as part of the settlement.
Politics is described as a bloodsport ... this book [has] taken it to a new level. I would call it a Game of Thrones kind of assassination. - Cynthia Mulligan, CityNews, Toronto

Brampton Mayor-elect Patrick Brown's new memoir breaks the mould of stodgy, predictable political biographies that employ pedestrian language to bore readers into submission. It's a tell-all thriller and political takedown of Ontario Progressive Cons.... - San Grewal, Publisher of The Pointer

To be honest, I couldn't put it down. - Libby Znaimer, Zoomer Radio AM740 / FM 96.7 Downtown