Crisis in the PLQ | Judge Fournier’s report must be submitted by January 31, 2026

The executive council of the PLQ officially approved on Friday the independent investigation mandate granted to retired judge Jacques R. Fournier.

The mandate asks Mr. Fournier in particular to determine whether payments aimed at influencing votes were made, to identify the people involved, as well as to find the amounts involved and the number of votes concerned, the PLQ indicated in a press release.

The party said it was committed to making the report public. “The integrity of our party is non-negotiable. With the official endorsement of the executive council, the independent investigation can now move forward fully and unequivocally. We hope that all the light will be shed, in a rigorous and impartial manner,” argued the president of the PLQ, Rafael P. Ferraro, in the same press release.

On Wednesday, the Permanent Anti-Corruption Unit confirmed “that it is currently validating information concerning allegations of wrongdoing targeting the Liberal Party of Quebec.”

The liberal leader, Pablo Rodriguez, indicated the same day that the federal liberal deputy Fayçal El-Khoury requested donations for his leadership. However, Mr. El-Khoury had previously denied having any connection with the race.

The PLQ has been in crisis since the MP for Saint-Laurent, Marwah Rizqy, fired her chief of staff, Geneviève Hinse, a close friend of Mr. Rodriguez, without speaking to her first.

Added to this story is an article from the “Journal de Montréal” published last week revealing text messages suggesting that members who supported Mr. Rodriguez during the race received cash rewards. The people behind these text messages are not named in the article.

With information from Thomas Laberge, La Presse Canadienne, in Quebec