Five things to know about the crisis that has unseated the Quebec Liberal leader

MONTREAL – After weeks of fighting to keep his job, Quebec Liberal Party Leader Pablo Rodriguez will resign as allegations of wrongdoing pile up about the leadership race he won in June. 

The decision was confirmed Wednesday to The Canadian Press by two sources within the party who did not want to speak publicly.

It comes after Rodriguez, a former federal cabinet minister, was forced to respond on Tuesday to the latest in a series of troubling media reports about his leadership campaign. Le Journal de Montréal had reported that around 20 donors to Rodriguez’s campaign received envelopes containing $500 in cash to reimburse their donations during a fundraising event in April.

That news emerged following earlier allegations of vote-buying during the leadership race. The Canadian Press has not verified any of the allegations against the party.

Throughout the controversy, Rodriguez has insisted he had no knowledge of any wrongdoing. But the Liberals are now facing a criminal investigation by Quebec’s anti-corruption police, and the pressure on Rodriguez to step down has been mounting for days. 

Here are five things to know about the crisis that has thrown the Quebec Liberals into turmoil. 

How did it start?

In mid-November, Le Journal de Montréal published text messages suggesting some party members could have received cash rewards after voting for Rodriguez in the leadership race. The Canadian Press has not verified whether the text messages were authentic.

The report came out shortly after the Liberals’ former parliamentary leader, Marwah Rizqy, fired her chief of staff without first consulting Rodriguez. It’s unclear whether the two stories are connected. 

Rodriguez later expelled Rizqy from his caucus, saying she had not explained her reasons to him and that she had lacked loyalty. Rizqy has not publicly explained her decision, saying it is a human resources matter.

What have we learned since then?

In the weeks following that initial report, Quebec media have published a steady drip of stories alleging questionable decisions and improper use of funds during the leadership race. The allegations published Tuesday about donations being reimbursed appear to be a violation of Quebec’s Election Act, which states that all contributions “must be made voluntarily, without compensation and for no consideration, and may not be reimbursed in any way.” 

In a statement, Rodriguez’s leadership campaign said he was at the event in April but had no knowledge of money changing hands. The statement said he had instructed a lawyer to file a complaint with Quebec’s anti-corruption unit.

To the surprise of many Quebec politicians, it emerged during the controversy that the Election Act did not prohibit vote-buying in leadership races — a loophole that has since been closed through the unanimous adoption of a new law in the provincial legislature last week. 

What has Rodriguez said about the allegations?

The Liberal leader has consistently denied any wrongdoing, and has said he wants to shed light on the affair. He has asked a retired judge to investigate the claims, and has said anyone found to have done anything wrong will face consequences. 

The statement on Tuesday said the leadership campaign had identified the person responsible for reimbursing donations at the April event. The person had taken the initiative to reimburse certain employees who could not afford to attend the fundraiser, the campaign said.

“This action is unacceptable, unethical, contrary to the rules in force, and was never part of the campaign’s practices,” the statement said. “It was taken without authorization, without instruction, and without the knowledge of Pablo Rodriguez and his team.”

What is the fallout?

Quebec’s anti-corruption police confirmed last week they had opened an investigation of the provincial Liberals, though they provided no details about the nature of the probe. Rodriguez also removed a second Liberal member of the legislature from his caucus because of a separate investigation by Quebec’s ethics commissioner. 

The office of the ethics commissioner said it would examine whether Sona Lakhoyan Olivier had used resources from her constituency office for partisan purposes during the leadership race. Montreal radio station 98.5 FM named Lakhoyan Olivier as one of the two people behind the text messages reported by Le Journal de Montréal, but she has denied that claim and has sent a legal letter to station owner Cogeco.

In the end, Rodriguez was unable to overcome the stream of allegations. After the criminal investigation was announced, several prominent Liberals began publicly calling for him to step aside for the good of the party. 

What’s at stake here?

Quebec’s next election must be held by October 2026, though it could be called earlier. The government of Premier François Legault has collapsed in the polls and is at risk of being wiped off the electoral map, while the sovereigntist Parti Québécois has been leading for the last two years. 

Rodriguez presented the Liberals as the only viable alternative to the PQ, whose leader has promised to hold a third referendum on independence by 2030 if his party forms government next year. 

The Liberals have struggled for years to connect with francophone voters in regions of Quebec outside Montreal, but Rodriguez had pitched himself as a unifier who would restore the party’s popularity. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 17, 2025. 

— With files from Caroline Plante in Quebec City