Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc maintains he did not participate in appointing Martine Richard as interim Ethics Commissioner, as Richard is his sister-in-law..“In order to avoid any opportunity to provide preferential treatment or to further the private interest of my relative, Ms. Martine Richard, I recused myself on March 28 from all discussions, decisions, debates or votes relating to her appointment as interim Ethics Commissioner,” LeBlanc wrote in an ethics filing..The Office of the Ethics Commissioner has said it knew of Ms. Richard’s relationship with the MP since 2013. It was first made public in 2019..According to Blacklock’s Reporter, Richard at the time, as director of investigations, recused herself from reviewing allegations cabinet attempted to quash a criminal prosecution of SNC-Lavalin Group Inc..“Out of an abundance of caution, Ms. Richard recused herself from the examination into Prime Minister Trudeau regarding the allegation that he or his office pressured the Attorney General in relation to the prosecution of SNC-Lavalin,” Jocelyn Brisebois, spokesperson for the Commissioner, said at the time..“The investigations and legal services teams are working with the Commissioner on this matter.”.Legislators in 2019 criticized Richard’s role as senior counsel..“This is outrageous,” said Senator Denise Batters (QC). .READ MORE Interim ethics commissioner sister-in-law to Liberal minister, raising conflict of interest concerns.“I was surprised and thrown off to find a cabinet minister’s sister-in-law is the chief investigator,” said New Democrat MP Charlie Angus (Timmins-James Bay, ON), the complainant who requested an SNC-Lavalin review..The Commissioner, in a subsequent 2019 report Trudeau II, found the prime minister and political aides arranged at least 49 separate meetings and phone calls to save SNC-Lavalin from criminal prosecution..The company later pled guilty to fraud in Québec Provincial Court and was fined $280 million..The report confirmed all key facts cited by former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould who resigned on complaints senior Liberals were “hounding me and my staff” on behalf of SNC-Lavalin..“I am grateful,” Wilson-Raybould said at the time..“I also have feelings of sadness. In a country as great as Canada, essential values and principles that are the foundation for our freedoms and system of government should be actively upheld by all.”.The investigation concluded “there were many ways in which Mr. Trudeau, either directly or through the actions of those under his direction, sought to influence the Attorney General,” wrote the Commissioner..“The evidence showed SNC-Lavalin had significant financial interests in deferring prosecution. These interests would likely have been furthered had Mr. Trudeau successfully influenced the Attorney General to intervene.”
