Quebec Liberal Leader Rodriguez resigns amid criminal investigation

Quebec Liberal Leader Pablo Rodriguez has been forced to step down amidst a criminal investigation following allegations of vote-buying and illegal party donation schemes.

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Quebec Liberal Leader Pablo Rodriguez has been forced to step down amidst a criminal investigation following allegations of vote-buying and illegal party donation schemes during his controversial leadership victory in June.

“I took this decision solely, out of a sense of duty for my party, which I sincerely love. For Quebec, and for my country,” Rodriguez told reporters during a press conference at the party’s provincial headquarters in Montreal on Thursday.

“Unintentionally, I became a distraction,” he continued, speaking in French. “Quebecers deserve a united Liberal party, a party that handles real issues. My integrity has never been questioned,” he said, “neither as Liberal leader nor in federal politics.”

The former federal cabinet minister was the subject of a criminal investigation by Quebec’s anti-corruption unit, announced last week, which also planned to look into his party. This prompted members to begin calling for Rodriguez to step aside.

Multiple investigations are underway, primarily focused on the Rodriguez leadership race, which he won with 52 per cent of the vote in June.

However, accusations against Rodriguez began to surface in the following month regarding suspicious campaign fundraising.

Screenshots of text messages were leaked to the Journal de Montréal last month that allegedly appear to show party operatives discussing payments tied to get-out-the-vote efforts.

One message reads, “Have you had the chance to collect the membership cards?” followed shortly by “The money also?” and a reply: “Yes, everything is done.”

In another exchange, a sender asks if everyone will be paid that week for their cards. The response outlines a plan to delay submitting memberships “just in case something goes wrong,” and to offer a “brownie for voting” on the day of the election. The sender then adds, “That’s how I won my nomination. So bro, everyone is aware.”

The allegations appear to be a violation of Quebec’s Election Act, which states all contributions “must be made voluntarily, without compensation and for no consideration, and may not be reimbursed in any way.”

Claims circulated that roughly 20 donors to his leadership campaign received envelopes containing $500 in cash to reimburse their donations during an April fundraising event. An internal petition signed by party members calling for Rodriguez’s resignation also circulated.

Earlier this month, Rodriguez expelled Chomedey MNA Sona Lakhoyan Olivier after the National Assembly’s ethics commissioner decided to investigate suspicious spending by her riding office.

Meanwhile, Saint-Laurent MNA Marwah Rizqy was also expelled by Rodriguez earlier this week for refusing to disclose her rationale for firing Geneviève Hinse last month. Rizqy had also accused Rodriguez of suspicious campaign fundraising during their last meeting.

Hinse, Rizqy’s former chief of staff and a close associate of Rodriguez, has since filed a $500,000 lawsuit against Rizqy in response to the firing.

“There is not a more beautiful job in the world,” said Rodriguez on Thursday during his resignation speech. “But it’s also a demanding job. I experienced all this in the years of my career that started when my hair was much darker,” than his white hair is now, he said.

He went on to say that if anyone did anything wrong they should be held accountable .

“The Quebec Liberal Party is bigger than any one of us,” he said. “It has weathered storms, it has risen time and time again and it will rise again.”