OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney has appointed an American political strategist as the first chief operating officer in the history of the Prime Minister’s Office, weeks after she was fined for failing to meet federal ethics disclosure requirements.Maia Johnson will assume the newly created position while continuing to serve as a senior adviser on Canada-U.S. relations.Johnson joined the PMO on February 17 as senior special adviser for United States stakeholder strategy.The creation of a chief operating officer position stands in contrast with the PMO’s traditional structure and reflects Carney’s corporate management background.Johnson previously worked in American Democratic politics, including on Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign.She was also involved with Hawkfish, a political data and digital strategy company created by former New York City mayor and Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg..Hawkfish was established to assist Democratic candidates and organizations during the 2020 election cycle. The Intercept reported Johnson participated in the firm’s senior staff discussions and had previously worked on Clinton’s campaign.Johnson’s appointment comes shortly after the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner imposed a $200 administrative monetary penalty against her.The commissioner’s public registry says Johnson failed to provide all the information requested for her confidential report within 60 days of her appointment.The violation was disclosed June 25 and the penalty has been paid.The registry continues to list Johnson’s initial compliance process as being in progress.The penalty concerned a missed disclosure requirement and was not a finding that Johnson used her position to advance a private interest.Administrative monetary penalties under the Conflict of Interest Act apply to failures to meet reporting requirements or provide complete information. They do not apply to substantive violations of the act’s conflict-of-interest rules.Johnson’s promotion was part of a broader reorganization of Carney’s senior political staff.Scott Gilmore, currently Carney’s foreign, defence and security policy adviser, will become the prime minister’s principal secretary on July 22.Gilmore will replace Tom Pitfield, who was appointed to the Senate last week.The ethics commissioner’s registry also records penalties against Gilmore for failing to meet several disclosure deadlines after joining the PMO in March 2025.The listed violations include failing to submit a confidential report within 60 days, failing to sign a summary statement within 120 days and failing to provide confirmation that controlled assets had been sold or placed in a trust.Gilmore’s registry profile now says his initial compliance requirements have been completed. It lists his assets as including an Ottawa rental property, a controlling interest in the consulting firm Anchor Chain Inc. and a nominal interest in an Edmonton real-estate company.
