CTV News has Mayor Matt Brown’s first public comments about the email controversy that has many Londoners calling for a formal investigation.

Brown denies that he advanced the political career of Coun. Maureen Cassidy in the months before their affair became public and will not ask the integrity commissioner to weigh in.

“It was addressed by the integrity commissioner. It was addressed by council. It's time to move forward,” Brown said.

The integrity commissioner has not conducted a formal investigation, instead writing a four page report based on a conversation with the mayor and watching media coverage.

The commissioner cannot be ordered to conduct an investigation - that decision is his alone.

There were renewed calls for a formal investigation after CTV News released emails between Brown and Cassidy regarding political appointments. They included a profane email from Cassidy as she pressed Brown to let her second a motion rather than Coun. Tanya Park.

 “F--k all those people who claim to be so pro First Nations relations and have done precisely f--k all.”

CTV News asked Brown if he suggested to Cassidy that what she wrote is unacceptable behaviour.

“I’m not going to weigh in on someone else's emails,” he said.

“I think it's regrettable that that language was used in that email but it is what it is.”

Last week Coun. Harold Usher said he was ashamed after learning the mayor emailed a list of eight talking points to Cassidy to help her win council’s nomination to the board of directors of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities.

“I’m looking forward to an opportunity to reach out to both councilors next week. This is about healing. This is about moving forward.”

The email controversy worries the Mayor's Advisory Panel on Povery co-chair Chris Mackie and former city councillor Cheryl Miller, who said last week there is a risk that it could impede implementation of 112 recommendations to end poverty in a generation.

“We can't let them be derailed by what a couple of people might have done,’ Mackie said.

Brown was asked what he has done to advance the work of the poverty panel since Cassidy was on leave of absence for the summer,

“As mayor the most important thing I did was convene the poverty panel, bringing together a group of experts from across our community.