Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s top adviser quit on Monday amid allegations of political interference in the criminal prosecution of engineering giant SNC-Lavalin.
One of the key architects of Trudeau’s 2015 electoral win and his longtime friend, Gerry Butts said he resigned as the prime minister’s principle secretary to avoid distractions for the government facing another tough ballot fight in eight months.
In a statement, Butts “categorically” denied accusations that he personally applied undue pressure on former attorney general Jody Wilson-Raybould for an out-of-court settlement with the firm.
“Any accusation that I or the staff put pressure on the attorney general is simply not true,” he said, but added: “It is in the best interests of the office and its important work for me to step away.”
For weeks, Trudeau’s government has been rocked by the meddling allegations first reported by the Globe and Mail, citing unnamed sources.
The political crisis deepened last week with Wilson-Raybould’s surprise resignation, and the launch of an investigation by the independent ethics commissioner.