THE TORY MP whose shock resignation led to the downfall of Boris Johnson is being investigated by parliament’s sleaze watchdog.

Chris Pincher quit his role as deputy chief whip on June 30 after allegedly assaulting two men at the exclusive Carlton Club in London the evening before.

According to the website of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards, Kathryn Stone opened the investigation on October 20.

Mr Pincher is accused of breaching Paragraph 17 of the MP’s code of conduct, which states that “members shall never undertake any action which would cause significant damage to the reputation and integrity of the House of Commons as a whole, or of its members generally.”

Mr Johnson quit as prime minister in July after more than 50 MPs, including Rishi Sunak, his chancellor, and Sajid Javid, his health secretary, resigned from government in the wake of the affair.

According to reports, Mr Pincher fondled the left buttock of a man in his 20s before moving his hand around to his groin shortly after buying a round of drinks at the Macmillan bar at the Carlton Club, central London.

A second man also alleged that he was drunkenly groped by Mr Pincher on the same night.

The incidents were witnessed by at least two MPs who alerted Chris Heaton-Harris, then chief whip.

The politician had to be thrown out of the club by Mark Fletcher, the Tory MP for Bolsover.

It was not the first time that allegations had been made against the politician. 

However, Downing Street’s story about what the prime minister knew of those historical claims changed over the following days. 

At first, No 10 said Mr Johnson had not been aware of “specific allegations” against Mr Pincher.

Junior minister Will Quince told numerous broadcasters that he had been given "categorical assurance that the Prime Minister was not aware of any serious specific allegation."

The next day, Downing Street confirmed that Mr Johnson had been aware of concerns about Mr Pincher’s conduct when he made him deputy chief whip. 

They admitted that Mr Johnson had been aware of “reports and speculation over the years with regards to this individual” when he appointed him to the whips’ office in February, but that “there were no specific allegations.”

However, the former permanent secretary at the Foreign Office said Downing Street had made "inaccurate claims". 

In a letter to the parliamentary standards commissioner, Lord McDonald said that Mr Johnson was "briefed in person about the initiation and outcome of the investigation". 

The letter alleges that statements released by No 10 were "not true" and the "modification is still not accurate". 

He said "There was a “formal complaint" and that "allegations were 'resolved' only in the sense that the investigation was completed.

"Mr Pincher was not exonerated. To characterise the allegations as 'unsubstantiated' is, therefore, wrong," he added.

According to Mr Johnson's former chief aide, Dominic Cummings, the Tory leader jokingly referred to the MP as "Pincher by name, pincher by nature".

Tory MPs condemned Mr Johnson’s handling of the affair. Mr Javid was the first minister to resign, followed shortly by Mr Sunak. 

Mr Pincher has since claimed to be seeking “professional medical support.”