CSIS intelligence suggests that China tried to transfer $250,000, possibly due to election interference – Leumi Achi-News

CSIS director David Vigneault says his agency had intelligence ahead of the 2019 federal election that the Chinese government was trying to transfer — through a network of “threat actors” — about $250,000, possibly to interfere in the Canadian election.

The document was introduced Thursday at Canada’s inquiry into foreign election interference, which is looking into attempts to interfere with Canadian democracy during the 2019 and 2021 elections.
Global News first reported these allegations in 2022, citing national security sources.

The CSIS summary says, “11 political candidates and 13 political staffers have been assessed as being involved or affected by this group of threat actors.”

The intelligence agency uses the term “threat actors” in the document to refer to officials connected to the government in Beijing who work “covertly to advance China’s interest through Canadian democratic institutions.”

The information released to the investigation by CSIS said seven candidates from the Liberal Party of Canada and four candidates from the Conservative Party of Canada were allegedly involved as part of the network.

“Some of these threat actors received financial support from the People’s Republic of China. For example, it is likely that there were at least two transfers of funds of approximately $250,000 from PRC officials in Canada, possibly for [foreign interference]—related purposes, though apparently not in an attempt to covertly finance the 11 candidates,” the CSIS document said.

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CSIS says the money was funneled through “an influential community leader, to a 2019 federal election candidate’s staff member and then to an Ontario MPP.”

Vigneault presented the information with the caveat that it is an intelligence summary and not necessarily a collection of facts, adding that it may require further investigation and context.

He said his words were “carefully chosen to make sure they deliver.” [the] Commissioner and Canadians the most accurate description possible of what we know while protecting classified information.”

The judge presiding over the investigation, Marie-José Hogue, also has access to all the secret intelligence that could not be made public. It will consider all the information while preparing its first report, due on May 3.

With files from Global’s Toria Yzeri

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