The Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation is repaying a $200,000 donation made in 2016, after a potential link to Beijing was raised.
“As an independent charity with no political affiliations, ethics and integrity are part of our core values and we cannot keep any donation that may have been sponsored by a foreign government without our knowledge,” said President and CEO Pascale Fournier said in a statement released Wednesday.
In February, the English daily Globe and Mail released a Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) report on alleged Chinese interference in the Canadian election.
According to an anonymous source quoted by the English-language daily, billionaire Zhang Bin was ordered by Beijing to donate $1 million to the Trudeau Foundation. He was reportedly promised to be reimbursed by the Chinese government.
A year later, Zhang Bin and a second wealthy Chinese businessman offered Pierre Elliott Trudeau $1 million, $200,000 of which went to the foundation.
“In light of these recent allegations, the Foundation has proceeded to refund the full amount of the donation received directly to the donor,” said Mr.me Fournier.