CEO and board at Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation resign en bloc

The Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation has been hit with a mass resignation of its board members and president and CEO Pascale Fournier, who had been in the position for five years.

In 2016, the charity received $200,000 from Zhang Bin, a political advisor to the Chinese government, and Niu Gensheng, a Chinese businessman and philanthropist.

When the matter was reported a few weeks ago, the foundation announced that it was refunding the donation.

The Globe and Mail alleged that it was linked to a Chinese government plot to influence Justin Trudeau after he became leader of the Liberal Party (LPC).

In a statement released Tuesday, the foundation said that in recent weeks, the political climate surrounding the donation has put a lot of pressure on the foundation's volunteer management and board, as well as its staff.

The press release adds that the circumstances created by the politicization of the foundation, which was founded in 2001, have made it impossible to maintain the status quo, leading to the departure of the board and Fournier.

Three directors will remain on an interim basis so that the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation can continue to fulfill its obligations until the board is renewed.

Last month, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he had had no formal or informal association with the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation since shortly after his election.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on April 11, 2023.