Justin Trudeau
Prime Minister of Canada
Aga Khan vacation controversy (2016)
In December 2016, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, his family, and some friends vacationed on the Aga Khan’s private island in the Bahamas. The Aga Khan (Prince Shah Karim Al Hussaini) is a religious leader of the Ismaili Muslim community and also the head of a charitable foundation that receives federal funding from the Canadian government.
The Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner launched an investigation in 2017 to determine whether Trudeau’s trip violated Canadian ethics rules - specifically, the Conflict of Interest Act.
The Commissioner at the time, Mary Dawson, released her report on December 20, 2017.
The Ethics Commissioner found that Justin Trudeau broke federal ethics rules in four instances. Specifically:
Accepting the trip and gifts from the Aga Khan constituted a conflict of interest, since the Aga Khan’s foundation was registered to lobby the government.
Trudeau failed to recuse himself from discussions involving the Aga Khan’s foundation.
The trip was not considered an acceptable gift from a friend, since their friendship was not deemed close enough to override the public office-holder rules.
The use of a private aircraft was also found to violate the act’s prohibition on accepting certain types of gifts.
The Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner launched an investigation in 2017 to determine whether Trudeau’s trip violated Canadian ethics rules - specifically, the Conflict of Interest Act.
The Commissioner at the time, Mary Dawson, released her report on December 20, 2017.
The Ethics Commissioner found that Justin Trudeau broke federal ethics rules in four instances. Specifically:
Accepting the trip and gifts from the Aga Khan constituted a conflict of interest, since the Aga Khan’s foundation was registered to lobby the government.
Trudeau failed to recuse himself from discussions involving the Aga Khan’s foundation.
The trip was not considered an acceptable gift from a friend, since their friendship was not deemed close enough to override the public office-holder rules.
The use of a private aircraft was also found to violate the act’s prohibition on accepting certain types of gifts.
Allegation of groping (around 2000)
The allegation dates back to August 2000 at a music festival in Creston, British Columbia (the Kokanee Summit Music Festival) in support of the Avalanche Foundation. At the time Trudeau was 28 years old and working as a teacher.
An unsigned editorial in the local paper the Creston Valley Advance alleged that Trudeau "inappropriately handled" a young female reporter. The editorial included a quote attributed to Trudeau: "If I had known you were reporting for a national paper, I never would have been so forward."
The alleged reporter was later identified as Rose Knight in a 2018 statement.
In July 2018, Trudeau publicly responded for the first time. He said he "remember[s] that day in Creston well … I had a good day that day. I don’t remember any negative interactions that day at all."
Later he confirmed he did apologise at the time, but insisted he did not believe he had acted "inappropriately". He added: "I do not feel that I acted inappropriately in any way but I respect the fact that someone else might have experienced that differently."
An unsigned editorial in the local paper the Creston Valley Advance alleged that Trudeau "inappropriately handled" a young female reporter. The editorial included a quote attributed to Trudeau: "If I had known you were reporting for a national paper, I never would have been so forward."
The alleged reporter was later identified as Rose Knight in a 2018 statement.
In July 2018, Trudeau publicly responded for the first time. He said he "remember[s] that day in Creston well … I had a good day that day. I don’t remember any negative interactions that day at all."
Later he confirmed he did apologise at the time, but insisted he did not believe he had acted "inappropriately". He added: "I do not feel that I acted inappropriately in any way but I respect the fact that someone else might have experienced that differently."