Trudeau cash-for-access scandal
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The Trudeau cash-for-access scandal is a political scandal arising from newspaper reports in 2016 that Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau had been attending cash-for-access events at the homes of wealthy Chinese-Canadians in Toronto and Vancouver, generating a political scandal.[1][2][3][4] Attendees at these events, including attendees with connections to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), would pay up to $1,525 per ticket to meet Trudeau. In response, the Liberal Party of Canada indicated that all party fundraising complied with Elections Canada rules and regulations.[5]
Although such cash-for-access events were reported as appearing to violate Trudeau's "Open and Accountable Government" rules about lobbying and fundraising,[6] Ethics Commissioner Mary Dawson interviewed Trudeau and determined that no rules were broken, without releasing a report.[7][2] Dawson's office defended the lack of a report by stating that Dawson had not opened a formal investigation, which would have legally required the commissioner to issue a public report under the Conflict of Interest Act.[7][8][9]