Six days into the election campaign, the CAQ finds itself without a party president.
On Tuesday afternoon, Stephane Le Bouyonnec tendered his resignation and will not be running in La Prairie.
The news came just moments after leader Francois Legault was grilled by journalists about Le Bouyonnec’s business ties.
Earlier in the summer, it was reported that he had ties to iCash, an online money lender that profits from high-interest loans outside of Quebec.
He also served as the president of the board of Techbanx, a company involved in speeding up the loan process through algorithms.
In June, Le Bouyonnec divested himself of those interests by giving up his shares in iCash and resigning from the board of Techbanx.
Still, during the campaign, Le Bouyonnec had been harassed on social media about his now-previous business ties.
In a statement in French on his Facebook page, Le Bouyonnec said he didn’t want to become a distraction to the party and its election goals.
“I am deeply convinced that I have acted ethically during my career, both private and public,” he said.
He also thanked his constituents.
Le Bouyonnec served as the MNA for La Prairie from 2012 to 2014.
“Do not be sad or disappointed in my decision today,” he said. “It was taken in the best interest of the party.”
The timing of his resignation raises questions about whether there could be other reasons he stepped down.
No replacement CAQ candidate for La Prairie has been announced yet.
