As Patrick Brown waits to find out if he'll be cleared to run for his old job as leader of the Progressive-Conservative Party, his girlfriend is coming to his defense.
23-year old Genevieve Gualtieri tells the Toronto Star that Brown, who turns 40 this spring, is one of the most respectful, decent, and caring individuals she's ever met.
She adds how he's been treated in the news media is 'wrong.'
Colleagues tell the Star that Gualtieri's been in an on-again, off-again relationship with Brown since they met in 2015.
She was a young intern working for Brown, who was an MP at the time.
Gualtieri has been campaigning for Brown in his drive to return to the Ontario PC leadership, but she's been dragged into the political muck by one of Brown's former colleagues.
MPP Randy Hillier claims lobbyists paid so that Gaultieri could accompany Brown on a trip to India.
Its the subject of Hillier's complaint to ethics watchdogs at the Legislature.
Brown calls Hillier's accusations, "garbage."