Steve Paikin, the host of TVO's flagship current affairs program The Agenda, has been cleared of allegations that he made an inappropriate sexual comment to a former Toronto mayoral candidate.
"An independent third-party investigation commissioned by TVO to examine allegations by Sarah Thomson has been completed," the broadcaster's chief executive officer Lisa de Wilde wrote in a statement regarding the claims made against Paikin in February of this year.
The statement continued: "The investigation was carried out by Rachel Turnpenney of Turnpenney Milne LLP. It involved interviews with 21 witnesses over 11 weeks. The investigator found that the allegations were not substantiated and Mr. Paikin did not violate TVO policies. As such, the investigation is now closed."
Thomson had first referenced the allegations without naming Paikin in an article through website Women's Post on February 2. She alleged that the host had asked to sleep with her "not five minutes into the lunch," adding that he had approached her several times times in the years since.
Paikin called the allegations "100% false" upon the news going public. Today, he expressed his relief at the investigation's completion on Twitter.
"While the last 11 weeks have been pretty difficult, I'm relieved to read this report," he wrote. "My deepest thanks to all who believed me."
Paikin began working for TVO in 1992, hosting programs including Studio 2, Between the Lines and Fourth Reading. Thomson ran for the mayor's office in 2010 and 2014, though later withdrew both bids.
Find statements from both Paikin and the broadcaster below. TVO has also published the investigative report and appendix in their entirety.
"An independent third-party investigation commissioned by TVO to examine allegations by Sarah Thomson has been completed," the broadcaster's chief executive officer Lisa de Wilde wrote in a statement regarding the claims made against Paikin in February of this year.
The statement continued: "The investigation was carried out by Rachel Turnpenney of Turnpenney Milne LLP. It involved interviews with 21 witnesses over 11 weeks. The investigator found that the allegations were not substantiated and Mr. Paikin did not violate TVO policies. As such, the investigation is now closed."
Thomson had first referenced the allegations without naming Paikin in an article through website Women's Post on February 2. She alleged that the host had asked to sleep with her "not five minutes into the lunch," adding that he had approached her several times times in the years since.
Paikin called the allegations "100% false" upon the news going public. Today, he expressed his relief at the investigation's completion on Twitter.
"While the last 11 weeks have been pretty difficult, I'm relieved to read this report," he wrote. "My deepest thanks to all who believed me."
Paikin began working for TVO in 1992, hosting programs including Studio 2, Between the Lines and Fourth Reading. Thomson ran for the mayor's office in 2010 and 2014, though later withdrew both bids.
Find statements from both Paikin and the broadcaster below. TVO has also published the investigative report and appendix in their entirety.
Statement from #TVO CEO Lisa de Wilde on Release of Independent Investigation https://t.co/5HZaKJ0Wbv pic.twitter.com/4k1yd1QRo9
— tvo (@tvo) April 27, 2018
while the last 11 weeks have been pretty difficult, i'm relieved to read this report. my deepest thanks to all who believed me. https://t.co/VOoqJ2JmQ7
— Steve Paikin (@spaikin) April 27, 2018
