Bill Morneau, Canada's ex-fin Min's probe partly dissolved by Canada's Ethics chief

#Canada; #BillMorneau; #WeCharityProbe; CanadaEthicsCommissioner; #MarioDion

Ottawa, Oct 30 (Canadian-Media): Conflict of interest investigation into Canada's former Finance Minister Bill Morneau's relationship with the WE Charity Canada has partially been  dismissed by the Ethics Commissioner Mario Dion, the Office of the Ethics Commissioner said.

Canada Ethics Commission. Image credit: Unsplash

"I can confirm that Commissioner Dion did inform former Finance Minister Bill Morneau yesterday that some of the allegations in his examination were discontinued," Office of the Ethics Commissioner spokesperson Maha Achkar said in an email on Thursday.

The Office of the Ethics Commissioner said it cannot comment further as other parts of the investigation are ongoing, the spokesperson said.

Morneau was cleared by Dion of wrongdoing relating to a $30,830 previously uncovered expenses during family trips to participate in the charity's projects abroad.
 
"I accept that you genuinely believed you had paid for the entire cost of both trips, including the portion of the trip that involved the use of non-commercial chartered aircraft," Dion said in a letter to Morneau, as quoted by the CBC.

Bill Morneau. Image credit: Unsplash

Morneau remains under investigation, the third against Morneau during his five years in office, for failing to recuse himself from the decision to award the WE Charity a $670-million sole-source contract to administer a government-sponsored student volunteer program.

After facing growing backlash, Morneau resigned Aug 17 as Fin minister and as a parliamentarian.