Ethics commissioner opens investigation into CAQ MNA Sylvain Levesque

Coalition Avenir Quebec MNA Sylvain Levesque gets a pat o the back from Quebec Premier Francois Legault as he is sworn in, Tuesday, October 18, 2022 during a ceremony at the legislature in Quebec City. National Assembly secretary general Siegfried Peters, right, looks on. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jacques Boissinot

Quebec City -

Ethics Commissioner Ariane Mignolet has opened an investigation into Sylvain Lévesque, the CAQ MNA for Chauveau.

Québec solidaire MNA Vincent Marissal requested that the commissioner launch the probe, Mignolet's office said in a press release sent late Monday.

Marissal stated that he had reasonable grounds to believe that Lévesque had committed a breach of section 36 of the Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct for Members of the National Assembly.

Specifically, he suspects that Lévesque's constituency office used a National Assembly email address to "promote the partisan fundraising activities of the Coalition avenir Québec."

Last week, Radio-Canada reported that an employee at the Chauveau office had suggested to a citizen who wanted to advance her file that she pay to meet a minister.

The Chief Government Whip's office responded that "under no circumstances" did the CAQ ask citizens to attend fundraising cocktail parties in order to meet elected officials.

The Ethics Commissioner, however, ruled that there was a case to investigate.

"The MNA in question has been informed in writing of the opening of an investigation in his regard," said Mignolet's release on Monday, adding that the investigation would be conducted in camera "in accordance with the Code."

"As such, no comments will be made during the investigation process. Once completed, a report ... will be forwarded to the President of the National Assembly, who will make it public," it added.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Jan. 22, 2024.