Ontario´s finance minister signals his intent to sue over claims made in Patrick Brown´s book
(The Star Food)

Finance Minister Vic Fedeli is escalating his legal fight against allegations of “inappropriate behaviour� in a tell-all memoir by former Progressive Conservative leader Patrick Brown.A lawyer for Fedeli has served Brown and his publisher with a letter signalling a notice of intent to sue and demanding a retraction of the passage in the 312-page book Takedown: The Attempted Political Assassination of Patrick Brown. A statement of claim has not been filed. “From a legal point of view, having reviewed the letter, we believe there’s no basis� for the demand, Dean Baxendale of Optimum Publishing International said Wednesday.Both he and Brown were served the letters last month, with Brown getting his at the Scarborough launch of his book at an Indigo store near Kennedy Rd. and Hwy. 401 five days before Christmas, sources said. The Star has not seen the letter and Fedeli’s office has declined requests for comment.Brown was elected mayor of Brampton in November, shortly before the book came out.In it, he wrote Fedeli was “accused…of inappropriate behaviour� by a female staffer who chose not to pursue a complaint while the PCs were in opposition prior to last June’s provincial election that brought Premier Doug Ford to power.“I understand that soon after Fedeli became interim party leader, the woman was let go, but kept on the legislative payroll,� Brown added.It is not unusual for political staff to leave or be dismissed after a change in leadership. The Star has not been able to confirm the allegation made by Brown.“I did receive a lawyer’s letter requesting my publisher remove the reference in ‘Take Down’ which mentions a sexual misconduct complaint was made against Vic Fedeli which is perplexing as the CBC has already independently verified that a complaint was indeed made,� Brown said in a statement to the Star on Wednesday.Baxendale noted the CBC story appeared No ...