Anti-corruption police looking at allegations of wrongdoing involving Quebec Liberals

QUÉBEC — Quebec’s anti-corruption police say they are looking into the internal crisis shaking the province’s Liberals, as their political rivals feast over a steady stream of embarrassing news that is threatening to tarnish the party’s image and is putting pressure on its leader.

Mathieu Galarneau, a spokesperson for the anti-corruption unit known as UPAC, said investigators are working to validate allegations of wrongdoing before deciding whether to open an official investigation.

“Following the analysis of this information, we will be able to decide whether or not to proceed further,” Galarneau said, confirming the police force’s involvement, first reported by Journal de Montreal on Wednesday.

The Quebec Liberals have been in crisis since Marwah Rizqy, the party’s former leader in the legislature, fired her chief of staff without consulting party leader Pablo Rodriguez. In response, Rodriguez then removed Rizqy from her position last week and suspended her from caucus, citing a breach of trust.

Adding to the controversy was a story published last week in the Journal de Montréal revealing alleged text messages from unidentified parties suggesting some members who supported Rodriguez during the leadership race received cash rewards. Rodriguez says he welcomes the involvement of the anti-corruption unit and that he has mandated the party to investigate the allegations.

“I sincerely hope that UPAC will shed light on this matter and, if necessary, file the appropriate charges. I would like to remind you that I have requested an independent investigation to get to the bottom of this. And I am committed to making the report public,” Rodriguez wrote on social media Wednesday night.

Last week, Rodriguez announced his party would be sending a legal letter to the Montreal tabloid in an effort to learn the names of the people involved and the phone numbers associated with the text messages. Rodriguez said he also wanted the Journal to explain how it verified the “authenticity and veracity” of the messages.

Another layer was added Wednesday when La Presse reported that Fayçal El-Khoury, the member of Parliament for Laval—Les Îles, had a discussion with Rizqy on Nov. 14 that caught the attention of Élections Québec because of a possible link to Rodriguez’s leadership bid. Rodriguez won the leadership race in June.

When contacted by The Canadian Press, Elections Québec did not confirm whether they were investigating. Rodriguez said he didn’t know if the elections agency was looking into the matter.

On Wednesday, the Liberal leader confirmed that El-Khoury had solicited donations for his leadership campaign. “He had a solicitation certificate, which is public information. That means he was collecting money like many others,” Rodriguez said.

Rizqy has largely remained silent on the affair. On Sunday, ahead of Rodriguez’s appearance on a popular Quebec talk show “Tout le monde en parle,” she wrote on Facebook that she could not comment publicly because the dismissal of her chief of staff, Geneviève Hinse, was a human resources matter. Rizqy also acknowledged the situation had put her “political family in a delicate position.”

Rizqy has said she won’t seek re-election in 2026 and will focus on her young family.

For his part, upon leaving the federal Liberal caucus meeting on Wednesday, El-Khoury did not respond to reporters’ questions about his involvement in Rodriguez’s leadership race. The federal MP said he would make a statement later, without offering specifics.

The other political parties at the national assembly seized on the series of controversies this week, with Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette calling it a repeat of previous scandals that had dogged the party.

“What we are seeing, once again, with the Quebec Liberal Party, is that it is the same old Liberal party that has not changed. The same illegal practices, the same ethically questionable practices,” Jolin-Barrette said Wednesday.

The government of former premier Jean Charest — in office from 2003-2012 — was badly tarnished by a scandal involving corruption in the construction sector and the illegal financing of political parties. Although no member of the Liberals was charged with a crime, a public inquiry — known as the Charbonneau commission — revealed widespread corruption in the construction industry, often involving organized crime, and the close ties with municipal and provincial politicians.

On Thursday morning, Parti Québécois Leader Paul St-Pierre Plamondon also weighed in. “It’s no surprise that UPAC repeatedly finds itself investigating the Quebec Liberal Party, and it’s not just Pablo Rodriguez; it’s an entire organization.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 27, 2025.

— with files from Sidhartha Banerjee in Montreal.

Thomas Laberge, The Canadian Press