Bringing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s wife to an event in Britain cost the beleaguered WE Charity nearly $20,000, says Blacklock’s Reporter..The event took place only a month before cabinet aides began negotiating terms of what became a $43.5 million federal grant to the charity, according to records..It became the costliest of eight WE Charity appearances by Sophie Grégoire Trudeau. WE Charity awarded a total $481,751 in fees, gifts and expense-paid trips to members of the Trudeau family..WE Charity in accounts submitted to the Commons ethics committee disclosed expenses for Mrs. Trudeau to attend a March 4, 2020 rally in London. Costs totaled $19,752 including $18,135 in business-class flights for Mrs. Trudeau and her daughter, and $1,617 for hotels. Costs for meals and taxis were not disclosed..Mrs. Trudeau contracted COVID-19 at the event. The prime minister subsequently went into self-isolation on her return..The event occurred just a week before the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic. The London appearance was the costliest of eight WE Charity events attended by Mrs. Trudeau over the period from 2012 to 2020..The prime minister’s mother, Margaret, also attended the event. Her expenses were not detailed. . WE spent 20k to fly PM’s wife to the UK, weeks before fed’s grant million$ to the charity .“Everybody knew Sophie Grégoire Trudeau had been in London with WE Charity,” Green MP Elizabeth May (Saanich-Gulf Islands, B.C.) earlier told the Commons ethics committee..“The only question is whether her way was paid there. She got COVID from attending the WE Charity event in March. We all know this.”.The prime minister in July 30, 2020 testimony at the Commons finance committee said he “knew that my brother and mother had worked with WE Charity” but was unaware of details..“I did not know how much work either of them had done with WE Charity or how much they had been paid,” testified Trudeau..WE Charity co-founder Craig Kielburger in earlier testimony at the finance committee denied the group sought favour with federal agencies by hosting Mrs. Trudeau in London..“I’ve never seen the prime minister or Sophie Grégoire Trudeau in a social setting,” said Kielburger..“Sophie Grégoire Trudeau is more than someone’s wife,” said Kielburger..“We live and we engage with individuals on the merit that they bring themselves as individuals.”.The WE Charity grant was subsequently cancelled following disclosures of the Trudeau family payments. Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion in a May 13 Trudeau III Report said the dealings “give rise to a strong appearance of conflict” but did not breach the Conflict Of Interest Act.
