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There is no mention in either letter of anyone other than the prime minister being questioned. Dawson’s office did not directly answer the National Post’s questions as to whether she requested documents from or questioned anyone other than Trudeau before concluding her investigation.

NDP ethics critic Nathan Cullen says there may be good reasons for Dawson’s decision, but she needs to provide more information. “Buying access to the most powerful person in Canada shouldn’t be allowed,” said Cullen, adding: “We need to know what happened and why and the nature of the conversation with the ethics commissioner.”

The prime minister’s office did not reply to the Post’s questions regarding whether anyone other than Trudeau was interviewed, or those regarding whether Trudeau met with the ethics commissioner in person or only answered her written questions. In an emailed statement, Trudeau’s press secretary Cameron Ahmad said:

“With respect to previous fundraising activity, the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner has said that no rules were broken. That being said, we recognize that we can do more to enhance openness and transparency in the fundraising system for cabinet ministers, party leaders, and leadership candidates by opening up our events to the media and the public.”

Trudeau spent much of 2016 under fire from opposition parties accusing him of selling government access at cash-for-access fundraisers where tickets cost up to $1,525 per person. For most of 2016 Trudeau claimed he did nothing wrong but in December he admitted that people at fundraisers try to lobby him, a violation of Liberal Party rules and of the prime minister’s ethics code. Trudeau said he wasn’t influenced by the lobbyists attempts, however.