John Palino Denies Knowledge of Brown Affair

“I have just completed a very long and intensive campaign for the Auckland mayoralty in which I poured my heart and soul into providing residents with an alternative pathway for Auckland. 

“To find myself now the principle target of those seeking to divert attention from Mayor Brown when I am trying to catch my breath is frustrating and upsetting.

“I have no comment to make, nor have ever made any comment, on the personal life of the Mayor. 
 
"I have not once since I found out of their affair come out and sought to make political capital out of the Mayor's misery.
 
"Len and I fought a clean campaign, a campaign based on issues and a campaign based on integrity. To see things subsequently degenerate the way they have is extraordinarily disappointing. 
 
"The first time I became aware that Bevan and Len were in a sexual relationship was last Tuesday following the release of the affidavit. 
 
"I did meet with Bevan - at her request - following the election in relation to threatening texts we had both received from the same phone number.
 
"Bevan has never disclosed to me the full nature of her relationship with the Mayor and only ever indicated she received persistent and unwanted propositions from the Mayor. 
 
"On the basis of this understanding, I advised her not to go public and, as reported in the Herald, told her it would not be published anyway. 
 
"Suggestions now that I, an entrepreneur, TV personality and political novice, am somehow orchestrating some grand right wing conspiracy to unseat Len after the election are so wrong and so absurd they do not stand up to even the remotest test of common sense.
 
"It simply makes no sense that I would wait until after losing an election I was always predicted to lose before releasing damaging information on the Mayor.
 
"It makes no sense that I would lose an election, subsequently generate a scandal and make no attempt to benefit politically from it.
 
"It makes no sense that I would have associated with someone on my campaign that I knew was sleeping with the Mayor.
 
"It makes no sense that I would have advised Bevan that a full-blown Mayoral affair would not be published.
 
"None of this makes any sense and to see the media so easily manipulated by people protecting the Mayor is an indictment on our democracy," said Palino. 

ENDS

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