The aide who claimed Maria Miller was the victim of a media “witch-hunt” today remained silent as her boss was forced to quit.
As pressure grew on Ms Miller this week over her expenses, London MP Mary Macleod gave an interview suggesting journalists had a “hidden agenda” for following the story.
But after Ms Miller stepped down today Ms Macleod was unavailable for comment.
In an interview with Sky News yesterday she said: “I don’t think the public necessarily know all the details of the case because in some of the newspapers it’s been like a witch-hunt. They don’t like the work that Maria has done on Leveson and gay marriage and therefore what they are trying to do is find a way to get her out of her job.”
She added: “There are journalists outside Maria’s house. I think, you know, harassing her children and her parents.” Asked later whether she could provide evidence to support her claims of a witch-hunt she said: “Not precisely ... no one has actually said to me that that’s the case.”
The Brentford and Isleworth MP said she had made the claim based on her “instinct ... as a human being”.
Ms Macleod sent a text message to backbench Tory colleagues this week saying she believed there was a “witch-hunt on Maria”.
The Daily Telegraph had previously claimed Ms Miller’s office used her position of control over Press reform to encourage the newspaper to drop the story of her expenses.
In a conversation recorded by the Telegraph, Ms Miller’s special adviser Jo Hindley told a reporter covering the story that she wanted to “flag up” the fact that the Culture Secretary was meeting senior newspaper editors on Press reform.
