Trudeau Taps Ex-Viceroy to Probe Alleged China Vote Meddling

By Brian Platt

March 15, 2023 at 4:40 p.m. EDT

Updated on March 15, 2023 at 9:19 p.m. EDT

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tasked former Governor General David Johnston with examining allegations China interfered in Canada’s last two elections.

Johnston was selected as the monarch’s representative in Canada in 2010 by former Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper. Naming him was meant to give Trudeau protection from allegations of partisan favor in the appointment, though the opposition Tories immediately slammed the appointment regardless.

Their criticisms primarily focused onJohnston’s membership at the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation, a non-partisan charity founded as a memorial to Trudeau’s late father, who opened diplomatic relations with China when he was prime minister five decades ago.

Last week, in an attempt to defuse controversy over reports of Chinese election meddling, Trudeau announced he would appoint a special rapporteur to examine the allegations and advise the government on a course of action.

Trudeau has so far resisted demands to call a judicial inquiry into the matter, but he has said he’ll abide by the recommendations of the special rapporteur.

Johnston was chosen after consultations with the opposition parties in parliament, Trudeau’s office said Wednesday in a news release. As special rapporteur, the former viceroy “will identify any remaining gaps or areas requiring further attention to protect the integrity of Canada’s democracy.”

Over the past month, a series of media reports has said Trudeau received intelligence briefings alleging that China meddled in both the 2019 and 2021 votes that returned him and his Liberals to power.

The reports included claims that Chinese officials spread misinformation to hurt certain candidates, including Conservatives, and funneled money and volunteers toward people it wanted to see elected.

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-03-15/trudeau-taps-ex-viceroy-to-probe-china-s-alleged-vote-meddling

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Trudeau Foundation to return $200K donation over alleged link to China

By Staff The Canadian Press

Posted March 1, 2023 8:15 pm

The Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation says it is returning $200,000 it received seven years ago after a media report alleged a potential connection to Beijing.

The Globe and Mail, citing an unnamed national security source, published a report on an alleged plot by the Chinese government to influence Justin Trudeau after he became Liberal leader.

The report alleged a Chinese billionaire was instructed by Beijing to donate $1 million to the Trudeau Foundation in 2014, the year before the Liberals came to power under Trudeau.

The report says that he and a second wealthy Chinese businessman donated $1 million in honour of the elder Trudeau in 2016, including $200,000 to the foundation.

Pascale Fournier, the president and CEO of the Trudeau Foundation, which the prime minister has not been involved with since becoming leader, says the amount has been refunded.

Fournier’s statement says “we cannot keep any donation that may have been sponsored by a foreign government and would not knowingly do so.”

The Canadian Press could not immediately reach the individual at the centre of the report by the Globe and Mail, which said Tuesday he did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

https://globalnews.ca/news/9521534/foreign-interference-china-trudeau-foundation-donation/