Testifying before a House committee Wednesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's brother Alexandre 'Sacha' Trudeau insisted there has been "no foreign interference, no possibility of interference, no intention or means of interference at or through the Trudeau Foundation."
Speaking about his involvement with a China-linked donation accepted by the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation, Alexandre Trudeau told MPs the heightened scrutiny around the charitable organization is the result of "significant mistakes" made by the Foundation's past president.
While noting that Canada "has become the target of foreign interference," he was adamant that "no state, and no individual attempted to influence the Canadian government through the Foundation."
A founding member of the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation, Alexandre Trudeau has been involved with the organization for more than two decades. An executive director until 2020, he was on the Foundation's board when it secured a now-scrutinized China-linked donation in 2016.
Testifying for two hours before the House of Commons Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics Committee (ETHI), the prime minister's brother sought to shed light on his involvement with the donation deal.
He also offered to appear before the committee, Alexandre Trudeau said, to offer a defence of the organization's work and clear up the "great distraction" and doubt circulating, in light of what he called "misinformation" and politics around the Foundation.
"For more than two decades, I have given everything I possibly could to the Foundation and its important mission… The scholars, fellows and mentors that I have had the privilege of getting to know personally have all made me very proud to be Canadian," said Alexandre Trudeau.
The recent attention on the donation tied to two Chinese businessmen has come amid heightened concerns around attempts by Beijing to interfere in Canadian affairs.
In his opening statement, the prime minister's brother sought to refute a series of claims he attributed to Pascale Fournier, the former Foundation CEO whom he alleged errantly led people to believe there were attempts at interference.
Alexandre Trudeau refuted that there was anything illegitimate about his signing of the donation contract, sought to offer more clarity around the nature of the donation, and denied that that there was mystery surrounding the identity of the donors or their affiliation.
"I still have no reason to believe their motives were not honorable at that time," the prime minister's brother and career documentary filmmaker told MPs.
He told MPs that talks to see funding go to both the Foundation and the Université de Montréal to be used to launch a scholarship program in his father's name, began in 2013 when the Conservatives were government and the Liberals had third-party status.
"At this time in 2015, 2016, China was not the hard place it has now become. And we were not on our guard in the same way. No one was. Even our CSIS agents will report that. Things have changed a great deal," Trudeau's brother said.
HOW DID THIS STORY GET HERE?
Over the last few months, attention has been put on the Trudeau Foundation over past members' ties to the current government, in light of reporting by The Globe and Mail, citing an unnamed source, stating the Foundation had several years ago accepted a $200,000 donation in hopes of exerting influence over the then-Liberal leader Justin Trudeau.
After initially indicating it had refunded "all amounts received" because of the potential China connection—what ended up being $140,000 provided in two $70,000 cheques—it was revealed by La Presse that the Foundation had issues returning the funds, which generated turmoil within the organization.
The Foundation's entire board of directors and president and CEO resigned in mid-April, citing "politicization" of the self-described independent, non-partisan scholarship organization.
Shortly after the mass exodus, the Foundation announced it would be launching an independent review of the donation, while stating that it had issued a reimbursement cheque in the name of the donor who made the initial two payments "and to which CRA charitable receipts were issued."
In the weeks since, there's been media reporting, and testimony provided to the MPs on ETHI, that has shed more light on the matter.
On Wednesday, Alexandre Trudeau questioned the veracity and sourcing of some of the reporting about the Foundation, but said despite what's transpired, the Foundation is "already building up again."
The ETHI committee's study on foreign interference began in March, building on work underway at the Procedure and House Affairs Committee, given the heightened attention and concern in Parliament over the threat foreign interference from China is posing to Canadian institutions and elections.
On Tuesday, Former Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation CEO and long-time public servant Morris Rosenberg testified at ETHI, telling MPs that while the donations did not raise any red flags at the time perhaps the foundation was "naïve" to think that by dealing with people who were linked to the Chinese government, they would have "soft power influence on them."
The prime minister has repeatedly made great efforts to distance himself from the work of the Trudeau Foundation—noting he has had no involvement with the foundation that bears his father's name in the last decade—telling reporters last week that while he "loves" his brother, the two men are doing their own things.
"It is no secret to anyone that my brother has been deeply involved in the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation for many years," Trudeau said.
Questioned by NDP MP Matthew Green about the extent of his conversations with his brother—the prime minister—about China, Alexandre Trudeau said he does not discuss public affairs with him, nor did the two speak in the lead up to his testimony.
"I have had no contact with the PMO, for the duration of his government," he said, adding that there was one occasion where PMO lawyers got in touch, on a "private matter" relating to joint property.
"I'm one of the few adult people in this country who can offer him a world outside of politics," Alexandre Trudeau said.
Ahead of the hearing, Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said his MPs on the committee would be trying to ascertain "more about how this foreign dictatorship is influencing Trudeau and his family with money."
In a series of exchanges with Conservative MPs, the prime minister's brother shot down what he called "a lot of innuendo and misinterpretation," and at one point suggested opposition MPs' focus on the Trudeau Foundation was "a waste of time."
"Because there is not a foreign interference issue here," he said.
With files from CTV News' Spencer Van Dyk
