Chinese “influence scheme” possibly linked to Trudeau Foundation donors: report
By Quinn Patrick
A law firm hired to investigate donations received by the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation from two Chinese businessmen said it “could not exclude the possibility that the donations in question may have been part of a wider influence scheme.”
Additionally, the probe concluded that the foundation violated the Income Tax Act regarding receipts related to the Chinese donations.
The law firm Norton Rose Fullbright was hired by the foundation to investigate the intentions behind several donations received in 2016 and concluded that they were not intended to influence the foundation themselves but instead Prime Minister Justin Truduea’s government.
“We could not exclude the possibility that the donations in question may have been part of a wider influence scheme,” reads the report. “It is important to emphasize the fact that this potential scheme, if any, would have intended to target the Canadian government rather than the foundation itself.”
Findings from the investigation also revealed that Trudeau’s brother, Alexandre, broke internal policy rules by accepting the $200,000 donation without authorization.
“Alexandre Trudeau was not specifically allowed to sign the donation pledge unless authorized to do so,” reads the report. “We did not identify any records or evidence that the Foundation’s board of directors authorized Mr. Alexandre Trudeau to do so. This being said, in our view, the donation pledge is valid.”