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Justin Trudeau
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Secret recording by Wilson-Raybould deepens Canada PM Justin Trudeau’s meddling scandal

  • Audio released by justice committee backs up explosive allegations by former attorney general about government pressure to shield engineering giant from trial

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Jody Wilson-Raybould arriving to give her testimony about the SNC-Lavalin affair before a justice committee hearing in Ottawa on February 27, 2019. Photo: AP
Agence France-Presse
A political meddling scandal threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s re-election bid was given fresh impetus on Friday with the release of messages and a secret recording supplied by his former attorney general.

The House of Commons justice committee, looking into the explosive allegations Trudeau officials pressured attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould to shield engineering firm SNC-Lavalin from trial, released the materials from the now former official.

February 27, 2019 photo of Jody Wilson-Raybould arriving to give her testimony about the SNC-Lavalin affair before a justice committee hearing in Ottawa. Photo: AFP
February 27, 2019 photo of Jody Wilson-Raybould arriving to give her testimony about the SNC-Lavalin affair before a justice committee hearing in Ottawa. Photo: AFP
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The controversy comes just months before a re-election bid that looks increasingly uncertain for Trudeau, whose progressive, golden boy image was previously been unblemished.

In the 43 pages of documents, Wilson-Raybould tries to link her demotion in January to her resistance to allegedly undue pressure to settle the SNC-Lavalin case – which Trudeau and his staff have denied.

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And she hints about why, a month later, she resigned from the cabinet, saying she decided “I would immediately resign if the new attorney general decided to issue a directive in the SNC-Lavalin matter”.

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