Patrick Brown: Ex-Alliance MLA ‘brought Stormont into disrepute’

It found he used his MLA letterhead in communications about his complaint to “improperly confer an advantage for himself”.

The committee also agreed with the commissioner’s conclusions that Mr Brown had brought the assembly into disrepute by failing to observe principles of “selflessness and objectivity”.

Sinn Féin assembly member Carál Ní Chuilín, chair of the committee, said they would have recommended an appropriate sanction to the assembly if Mr Brown had remained an MLA.

She added: “It is important that members should at all times conduct themselves in a manner which will maintain and strengthen the public’s trust and confidence in the integrity of the assembly and never undertake any action that would bring the assembly into disrepute.”

Alliance did not expand on the reasons for Mr Brown’s sudden departure as an MLA when it was announced by the party in April.

It later emerged he had been facing the standards watchdog probe.

In a post later on Facebook, Mr Brown said the investigation “had no bearing on my reasons for resigning”.

He said he had accepted a new job offer and the “pressures of being in full-time politics” had impacted his mental wellbeing, contributing to his decision.

In a statement, Shimna college principal Steve Pagan thanked Ms McCullough and the committee for their work.

He said their priority “remains the education and welfare of our students”.

“We look forward to moving on from this affair and focusing exclusively on the business of running and governing the college,” he added.