Former Somerton and Frome MP David Warburton has said allegations of sexual misconduct against him have been withdrawn.
Mr Warburton was suspended by the Conservative Party in April 2022 and resigned last month after a probe into the complaints.
A Westminster watchdog launched a reinvestigation into the claims after revealing the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards had found him guilty of three counts of misconduct instead of the two upheld by the initial inquiry.
The Independent Expert Panel called for both decisions to be reassessed, criticising the “materially flawed” original probe.
But it did not make findings about the allegations themselves and said those questions remain “open”.
Mr Warburton claimed on Sunday that the complaints against him had been withdrawn.
“I know it’s extremely rare for the Independent Expert Panel to fully uphold an appeal by an MP.
“I’m, of course, delighted but the past year has been extraordinarily painful for my family and for me, and the personal cost has been incalculable.
“As a result, and in order to speak out about the appalling injustice I have experienced, I have had to step down as an MP,” he said in a statement.
The original probe came after a staffer in Mr Warburton’s Westminster office lodged a complaint with Parliament’s Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS) in March 2022, making allegations of sexual misconduct and two bullying and harassment claims against him.
However, Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards Daniel Greenberg then reviewed the evidence and found Mr Warburton guilty of a third, unspecified sexual misconduct charge.
Mr Warburton appealed against Mr Greenberg’s decision on the grounds it was “procedurally flawed and unreasonable” and claiming he had been denied a fair hearing.
He has admitted cocaine use, saying he took the drug after drinking “tons of incredibly potent” Japanese whiskey, but has said the sexual misconduct claims against him are false.
