Jack Davis announced Wednesday afternoon that he will not participate in any debates in western New York’s special election.

Davis, the wealthy third-party candidate who has come under increasing scrutiny from outside conservative groups in recent days, said that the Republican and Democratic nominees, Jane Corwin and Kathy Hochul, are liars who cannot be trusted to play fair in a public forum. The first debate in the campaign was scheduled for Thursday.

“I will not lend my integrity and my reputation for honesty to a forum with two politicians who will say anything to get elected,” Davis said in a statement. “After thinking about this long and hard, I have come to a decision that I will not participate in the alleged debates. Jane Corwin and Kathy Hochul can use the television time to explain how both political parties have sent our jobs overseas and spent our nation into debt.”

Davis, who will appear on the Tea Party ballot line May 24, said he plans to hold an “electronic town hall” on May 21, “where voters can ask me any question they want and get an honest answer.”