Former Sinn Féin TD Brian Stanley has said he will have an “uphill battle” in his bid to be elected as an Independent in the forthcoming general election but he will “give it my best shot”.
The Laois TD also hit out at his former party, saying it is “not judge, jury and they’re certainly not executioner” in the matter that led to his resignation from Sinn Féin last month.
And he claimed Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald had handled the matter “appallingly”.
Mr Stanley is contesting the upcoming election in Laois as an “Independent republican”. He quit Sinn Féin following an internal inquiry on the foot of a complaint against him.
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The complaint was made by a woman over a meeting with Mr Stanley in Dublin on the night of October 11th, 2023, which led an internal Sinn Féin inquiry to conclude in a draft report that the TD’s conduct on the night constituted “sexual harassment”.
The party’s internal inquiry into the complaint was preparing to make a finding against Mr Stanley of gross misconduct as a result when he resigned.
Mr Stanley has previously strenuously denied any wrongdoing in a statement released by his solicitor. He has also contested what was described in his statement as the “provisional findings” of the Sinn Féin inquiry.
Sinn Féin referred the allegations against Mr Stanley – and a counter allegation from him that the woman had demanded €60,000 to compensate her for what she claimed happened on the night – to the Garda.
Speaking to reporters in Portlaoise on Friday, Mr Stanley said he was “delighted” the issue was referred to the Garda.
He said he has spoken to gardaí “because I brought serious matters to the attention of a so-called inquiry [by Sinn Féin] and that’s where the matter rests. But that’s as much as I’m saying about that.”
Asked if he has made a complaint to gardaí, he said: “I’m not commenting. I’m bound by very good legal advice. That’s guided me up to now. I will be sticking to that.”
He said there is no investigation into him and his focus now is the election. “We’re in election mode. That’s my focus, representing the people of Laois.”
Asked for his response to the allegation of sexual harassment and Sinn Féin’s preliminary finding of gross misconduct against him, Mr Stanley said: “I’m not getting into it in detail. That’s for Sinn Féin. Sinn Féin are not judge, jury and they’re certainly not executioner.”
Mr Stanley has previously said the internal inquiry “resembled a type of kangaroo court”.
Sinn Féin has insisted his rights “were protected throughout this process” which was carried out by a barrister who is a Sinn Féin member and two other members and it pointed out that Mr Stanley was represented by a solicitor and a barrister throughout.
Ms McDonald told the Dáil that her party responded to the complaint and counter-allegation “in a correct and a fair manner”.
On Friday Mr Stanley claimed that Ms McDonald had handled the matter “appallingly” and that she has not been in contact with him.
Asked if he was hurt by that he replied: “No. As I said I’m resilient. Other people can speak for themselves. I have stuck to the truth.”
On his decision to run as an Independent Mr Stanley said he was “in two minds” about it but he was encouraged by constituents, former members of Sinn Féin and his family.
“For better or for worse I’ve thrown my hat into the ring. It will be an uphill battle. I understand that but I’ll give it my best shot and we’ll see how it works out,” he said.
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Mr Stanley said he is a republican with centre-left beliefs and that he would try to work with progressive independents in the Dáil if elected.
“If political parties put forward good ideas whether it’s from Government or opposition benches I’m known to be very pragmatic and I will support those,” he said.
Asked if he thinks he can win the seat in Laois given the controversy of recent weeks, he said: “What I would say to you is walking up here even this morning from my own office people are stopping me and people are stopping in cars and rolling the windows and saying to me ‘best of luck to you’.
“Some people are saying to me I’ll be voting for you for the first time. Some people who voted for me when I was in Sinn Féin are saying to me ‘I’m still backing you, I know where you stand and you haven’t let the area down’.
“I certainly won’t do that. I’ll give it my best shot.”
Mr Stanley spoke to the media as he attended the turning of a sod at a planned new Garda headquarters in Portlaoise.
A Sinn Féin spokesman said: “Our party president Mary Lou McDonald has already addressed the issues surrounding the inquiry that led to Brian Stanley’s resignation from Sinn Féin.
“Sinn Féin is looking forward to the close of nominations for party members who want to put their names forward to contest the Laois constituency. We are looking forward to retaining a Sinn Féin seat in Laois.”
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