PMO staffer being probed over allegations

An official in Justin Trudeau’s office is being investigated over unspecified allegations, both the Prime Minister’s Office and the official confirmed late Wednesday.

The Prime Minister’s Office has not identified the official or the nature of the allegations, but several media outlets have reported that the accusations involved “inappropriate behaviour.”

The staffer, Claude- Eric Gagne, the PMO’S deputy director of operations, has issued a statement that he is on leave because of an “independent investigation regarding allegations” that have come to the PMO’S attention.

“I am taking this situation seriously and I have offered my full and complete co-operation to the investigator who gave me the opportunity to expose my version of the facts to these allegations which I challenge the veracity,” Gagne said in an emailed statement. “I hope that the process will succeed as soon as possible.”

Gagne says he won’t comment any further to avoid undermining the process he has agreed to participate in.

Trudeau’s director of com- munications, Kate Purchase, says any allegation brought to the PMO is taken extremely seriously.

“In this case, an investigation was immediately triggered with the assistance of an independent investigator and the individual in question went on leave, pending the outcome.”

Purchase said the PMO would not comment further to protect the integrity of the process.