Gerald Butts, principal secretary to the Prime Minister, has resigned over accusations that it was he who applied pressure to then Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould to help the Montreal engineering firm SNC-Lavalin avoid a criminal case on corruption charges. But in quitting his office, Butts adamantly denies that he did any such thing. His resignation statement says the decision was taken because the allegation is distracting from the “vital work” Justin Trudeau is doing. Butts is described as the most powerful person in Ottawa except for the PM himself. The two have been close friends since university. “I categorically deny the accusation that I or anyone else in his office pressured Ms. Wilson-Raybould .At all times, I and those around me acted with integrity and singular focus on the best interests of all Canadians,” Butts said.
