Screen capture of real estate listing of Patrick Brown's home in Barrie, Ont. www.faristeam.ca
On the day Patrick Brown expected to be elected Ontario’s next premier, the ousted Progressive Conservative leader put his multimillion-dollar lakeside home, bought in part with a controversial payment that drew the attention of the Integrity Commissioner, on the market.
Mr. Brown has moved to Mississauga to live with his fiancée, Genevieve Gualtieri, who works for Sick Kids hospital. In an e-mail to The Globe and Mail, Mr. Brown said he has restarted his law practice and has accepted a job as vice-president of a telecommunications company in Vaughan.
“I also got offered a visiting professor position at a local university. Mississauga is a great spot for us. Close to both our work,” Mr. Brown said.
Mr. Brown was removed as leader of the PC party in January after CTV News aired a story detailing sexual misconduct allegations against him. Mr. Brown has denied the allegations and has launched legal action against CTV. The network stands by the report.
A listing for the home in Shanty Bay, near Barrie, Ont., appeared online Thursday. The five-bedroom, three-bathroom home was purchased for $2.3-million in 2016. The new listing price is $2,950,000.
“Offering a bright atmosphere illuminated by pot lights and warm sunlight through large windows, the kitchen is sure to inspire culinary creativity,” the listing says.
Mr. Brown previously told The Globe in a statement that he’d purchased the home with help from his family. But an Integrity Commissioner report later ruled that such help did not occur and that Mr. Brown hid the true source of the financing.
The money came from Jass Johal, a paralegal in Brampton, Ont, the report found.
Documents shown to The Globe in February reveal that Mr. Brown deposited $375,000 into his bank account on July 11, 2016. Later that month, property records show he purchased the house with a mortgage of $1.72-million from Toronto-Dominion Bank.
A previous Globe story disclosed that Mr. Brown was in talks to sell an interest in Hooligans, a restaurant in Barrie that he partly owns, and some Aeroplan miles for $375,000 to Mr. Johal. When asked about the details, Mr. Brown said in an e-mail: “I have no business dealings with Mr. Johal. No deal was ever done.”
Five months after Mr. Brown borrowed the money, Mr. Johal was acclaimed as the PC candidate for Brampton North.
Mr. Johal was removed as a candidate by new PC Leader Doug Ford.
>- With a file from Justin Giovannetti