OTTAWA -- Former governor general Michaelle Jean is praising the appointment of Julie Payette to the job.
Jean says the former astronaut will be extraordinary in her new duties.
Two incidents involving Payette surfaced two weeks ago: a dismissed charge of second-degree assault when she lived in Maryland in 2011 and a fatal car accident in which she was not found at fault.
Jean, who served as governor general between 2005 and 2010, tells The Canadian Press that Payette is a female pioneer who has achieved excellence in her career.
Jean says Payette needs to be fully respected for her worth and accomplishments.
Payette called the assault charge "unfounded" and noted she was "immediately cleared."
An online background check search showed Payette was charged with second-degree assault on Nov. 24, 2011. The prosecutor formally dismissed the charge about two weeks later.
The online records don't detail what led to the charge. The records also don't turn up in official Maryland records searches, suggesting they were expunged from the public record.
Political appointees in Canada are normally run through a thorough vetting process designed to root out personal history that could be damaging for the candidate and government should they become public. Depending on what is found, the government may move on to another candidate.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said Payette went through the same check as other high-profile political appointees.
He has not said whether the check turned up the two incidents or whether he talked with Payette about either case.
And in a statement issued through Rideau Hall a fortnight ago, Payette declined to comment.
"For family and personal reasons, I will not comment on these unfounded charges, of which I was immediately and completely cleared many years ago, and I hope that people will respect my private life," it said.
