Slain MP's Widower Quits Posts Over Misconduct Claim

Brendan Cox steps down from charities he set up in memory of UK lawmaker Jo Cox
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Feb 18, 2018 7:41 AM CST
Slain MP's Widower Quits Posts Over Misconduct Claim
In this June 22, 2016 file photo, Brendan Cox, widower of murdered British MP Jo Cox makes a speech during a gathering to celebrate her life, in Trafalgar Square, London.   (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, File)

The widower of a slain British legislator has stepped down from two charities set up in her memory after allegations of sexual misconduct in the past were reported. "I want to apologise deeply and unreservedly for my past behaviour and for the hurt and offence that I have caused," Brendan Cox said in a statement, per the Guardian. He said that "allegations from several years ago have resurfaced that makes concentrating on" his duties "much more difficult." Cox said late Saturday he would leave his positions at the Jo Cox Foundation and the More in Common charity. Both were started after his wife Jo Cox was shot and stabbed to death during the Brexit referendum in 2016, reports the AP.

The Mail on Sunday published reports alleging sexual misconduct on his part. A woman in Cambridge, Mass., alleged in 2015 that Cox bought her drinks, grabbed her hips, and forcibly shoved his thumb in her mouth in a sexual way, per the Guardian. Cox called the newspaper's allegations a "massive exaggeration." Cox has advocated for his wife's beliefs. She was killed by a far-right activist.

(More Jo Cox stories.)

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