Former prominent Conservative MP Tony Clement, now an independent, will not run again

Tony Clement, a former Conservative MP and cabinet minister, will not be running for re-election this fall.

Clement — who sits as an independent MP for Parry Sound—Muskoka since a sexting scandal last year — said in a statement posted on his website on Tuesday that he had come to the decision not to run again after getting his personal life back on track after the matter. The controversy resulted in charges being laid against two individuals in Ivory Coast who allegedly attempted to extort Clement over intimate messages and photos.

EXCLUSIVE: Tony Clement facing alleged extortion demand of 50K euros after sending ‘sexually explicit’ photos, video

“I’ve decided that I will not run for re-election as MP in the upcoming election,” he wrote in the statement.

“This was actually not a difficult decision, and it is also the right one. I am very content with it, as is my family. It’s time to move on. My personal life is back on track after the personal crisis I created, and that better lived life will continue.”

Clement continued, adding that he will still be “a movement conservative” and that he will support Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer and the party in the fall election. He also said he will stay on as MP for his Ontario riding until the election date.

WATCH BELOW: Clement dumped from Conservative caucus over sexting and extortion scandal

2:55 Clement dumped from Conservative caucus over sexting and extortion scandal

Clement was asked to resign from the Conservative caucus on Nov. 7, 2018. Scheer had initially stood by the MP following news of the extortion attempt, as Clement had told him the behaviour leading to the situation was a one-time “lapse in judgment.”

Scheer’s tune changed after dozens of women came forward online to share stories of what they described as “inappropriate” but not illegal social media behaviour by Clement that involved sending direct messages to young women and liking their photos on Instagram.

The revelations from those women prompted Scheer to ask for Clement to step away from caucus.

READ MORE: 2 from Ivory Coast charged over attempt to extort Tony Clement sexting scandal

In his statement Tuesday, Clement reflected on his many years with the Conservative party as both a provincial and federal legislator, saying that while he has experienced highs and lows in his political life, there have been “many more highs.”

He also opined on how the world of politics has changed since he was first elected to public office in 1995, calling it a life of “loneliness, anxieties and adversity,” with moments of triumph and accomplishment.

“For me, despite the challenges and the obvious effects on my emotional well-being, I am convinced this has been worthwhile as my life’s work.”

— With files from the Canadian Press