Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) Director David Vigneault has announced he will be resigning from his position. Vigneault said it “has been a privilege for me to serve as Director of CSIS for the last seven years and to have spent almost two decades in the Public Service.” “I am extremely proud of the work my team and I have accomplished in recent years at CSIS, bringing the organization out of the shadows and shedding light on the important and valuable role we play in protecting Canadians against foreign interference and threats to national security,” said Vigneault in a Thursday statement. “This has been one of the most challenging and rewarding periods in my career.”.Since CSIS is celebrating its 40th anniversary on July 16 and is at its best, he said the time “has come to pass the baton to a successor.” In closing, Vigneault thanked its employees and executives for their advice and support over the years. “I also wish to thank the Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau; the Minister of Public Safety, Democratic Institutions, and Intergovernmental Affairs, Dominic LeBlanc; and the Clerk of the Privy Council, John Hannaford, for their support of CSIS and its incredible work,” he said. This resignation comes after the Foreign Interference Commission (FIC) published the Initial Report in May, which focuses on foreign interference in the 2019 and 2021 Canadian elections. READ MORE: Foreign Interference Commission's first report found Chinese election interference happened, didn't affect resultsFIC Commissioner Marie-Josee Hogue found the Canadian electoral system is robust, but foreign interference exists. “Acts of foreign interference did occur during the last two federal general elections, but they did not undermine the integrity of our electoral system,” said Hogue.
