Second Canadian cabinet minister resigns over SNC-Lavalin scandal
OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada’s President of the Treasury Board resigned from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s cabinet on Monday, the second minister to leave in the wake of a political scandal that has roiled Trudeau’s tenure months before an October election.
Jane Philpott’s resignation follows the departure of former justice minister Jody Wilson-Raybould, who testified last week that government officials inappropriately pressured her to help construction firm SNC-Lavalin avoid a corruption trial.
“I have been considering the events that have shaken the federal government in recent weeks and after serious reflection, I have concluded that I must resign as a member of Cabinet,” Philpott said in a statement released on Twitter.
Reporting by Julie Gordon in Ottawa; Editing by James Dalgleish
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