CANADA – An ethics commissioner has found the Canadian PM Justin Trudeau has violated federal conflict of interest rules in the handling of a corruption inquiry.
The ethics commissioner said Trudeau improperly tried to influence a former minister in the SNC-Lavalin affair.
Trudeau has accepted the commissioner’s report but disagrees with some of its conclusions.
The findings could be an issue for Mr Trudeau in advance of October’s general election, Canada media are reporting.
Earlier this year, former justice minister and attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould accused Mr Trudeau and his staff of spending months trying to convince her that taking SNC-Lavalin to trial would cost Canadians jobs, and their party votes, according to the BBC.
Her accusation proved to be politically costly for Mr Trudeau – leading to the resignation of two high-profile cabinet ministers, his top personal aide and the head of the federal bureaucracy – and cast a shadow over his leadership.
Wilson-Raybould said the commissioner’s report was a “vindication” of her position that she was improperly pressured by Mr Trudeau and his staff.
