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The watchdog who enforces Canadian election laws says no one in the Prime Minister's office has been trying to help SNC-Lavalin avoid being accused of violating the campaign's funding rules.
In a rare written statement, the Commissioner of Elections, Yves Cote, said on Thursday that no minister, political staff member or official had attempted to "influence or interfere" in any of his decisions "that did not involve them directly in the investigation".
WATCH: May 1 – Opposition asks Trudeau about SNC-Lavalin's compliance agreement
Before the release of Cote's statement, the Conservatives once again asked the question period Liberals if Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's office was relying on Cote to let SNC-Lavalin sign what's called a deal compliance after being found in violation of the funding rules.
Conservative MP Pierre Poilievre went further by questioning the integrity of Elections Canada and the Commissioner of Elections, saying that they had "a lot to explain.
"There is obviously a very close relationship between the Liberals and Elections Canada," said Poilievre outside the House of Commons.
READ MORE: SNC-Lavalin to Shut Down in 15 Countries as Revenue Declines
"It is time for Elections Canada and for the Liberal Party to clarify the discussions they had or did not have about allowing society and the party to join forces for this crime."
The Quebec-based engineering firm signed the compliance agreement in 2016, admitting that the executives who had left the company had then convinced employees to give money to the Liberal parties and curator at the end of the 2000s. Donors were reimbursed with business bonuses as a way to circumvent an election law prohibiting companies from making political donations.
Five charges were laid against a former SNC-Lavalin executive, Normand Morin, who pleaded guilty to two of them last November.
WATCH: April 30 – Conservatives accuse Liberals of "rewriting the rules" for SNC-Lavalin
The Liberals received almost $ 118,000 under the plan, compared to $ 8,000 for the Conservatives. Both parties gave money to the federal treasury.
Mr. Côté said that he had issued his statement "in the interest of maintaining public confidence in the integrity" of the electoral law enforcement regime.
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"Since I have been a Commissioner, politicians, politicians and officials have never tried to influence the conduct of an investigation or to hinder our work," he said. .
"And I want to make it clear that if that happens, I will denounce it quickly and publicly."
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