The CEO and Board of Directors of the Pierre Trudeau Foundation have resigned over a 2016 China-linked C$200.000 donation, which has come under scrutiny as Canada digs into allegations of Chinese interference in past elections
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 11th April, 2023) The CEO and board of Directors of the Pierre Trudeau Foundation have resigned over a 2016 China-linked C$200.000 donation, which has come under scrutiny as Canada digs into allegations of Chinese interference in past elections.
"The circumstances created by the politicization of the Foundation have made it impossible to continue with the status quo, and the volunteer Board of Directors has resigned, as has the President and CEO," a statement from the foundation reads.
According to the statement, the Foundation took the decision after considering the "great deal of pressure" endured by the management, staff, and the community ever since the donation was revealed.
Pending a renewal of the Board of Directors, the departing members have agreed to act on an interim basis to ensure the Foundation meets its obligations, the statement continued.
Founded in 2002, the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation, regarded as an independent, non-partisan organization, has been involved in a few controversies ever since the media began addressing the alleged Chinese interference in the 2019 and 2021 Federal elections.
Civil society and opposition parties have also questioned the appointment of former Governor General David Johnston as Special Rapporteur charged with studying the extent of foreign interference in Canada, due to his membership in the Pierre Trudeau Foundation, and close links to the Trudeau family.
