Scandal as Trudeau’s charity links revealed

THE charity at the heart of an ethics investigation targeting Prime Minister Justin Trudeau paid members of his family for speaking engagements, Canadian media reported.

WE Charity paid Margaret Trudeau, the prime minister’s mother, $250,000 for speeches at 28 events between 2016 and 2020, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

The revelation seemed “to contradict WE Charity’s earlier claim that it had never paid an honorarium to Margaret Trudeau,” the broadcaster said in a report on its website.

WE Charity paid Justin Trudeau’s brother Alexandre $32,000 for his participation in eight events, the CBC reported.

It also said the prime minister’s office had confirmed that his wife Sophie “received $1500” for participating in a WE event in 2012, before Trudeau took over the leadership of the Liberal Party.

Canada’s ethics watchdog said has launched an investigation into the prime minister, after a controversial contract to manage a major government program was awarded to WE Charity in June.

The Conservative opposition blasted Trudeau for the “scandalous” revelations.