Boris Johnson steps down as member of British Parliament

Former U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson stepped down as a member of Parliament on Friday, according to media reports.

The announcement came after Johnson was told he would be sanctioned for misleading Parliament about parties and gatherings at his office during the COVID-19 lockdowns, according to The Associated Press.

“I have received a letter from the Privileges Committee making it clear — much to my amazement — that they are determined to use the proceedings against me to drive me out of parliament,” he said in a resignation statement reported by the Independent.

Johnson claimed the committee did not produce a “shred of evidence” that showed he intentionally misled Parliament and denounced the panel as a “kangaroo court.”

“They know perfectly well that when I spoke in the Commons I was saying what I believed sincerely to be true and what I had been briefed to say, like any other minister,” he said, adding, “I did not lie, and I believe that in their hearts the Committee know it.”

The former prime minister acknowledged in March that he misled Parliament about the scandal that has been dubbed “partygate,” but maintained that it was not deliberate, according to the BBC.