What is the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation and what does it do?

The Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation has been mired in a political controversy that pushed the organization's president and board to resign last week.

At the centre of the controversy is a 2016 donation from two donors with links to the Chinese government. The donors pledged $200,000 to the foundation at the time.

While the donation spurred an initial controversy in 2016, interest in the story revived in the wake of recent media reports stating Beijing interfered in the 2019 and 2021 federal elections. The foundation said it would reimburse the funds but apparently ran into administrative roadblocks. (Radio-Canada has confirmed the donation has since been returned.)

The foundation said last week's resignations were in response to the latest controversy about the donation.

"The circumstances created by the politicization of the foundation have made it impossible to continue with the status quo, and the volunteer board of directors has resigned, as has the president and CEO," a statement from the foundation said.

But reports from the Globe and Mail and La Presse suggest the resignations stemmed from the foundation's handling of the donation.

The controversy has also spilled into the halls of Parliament.

Morris Rosenberg — who authored a government report on electoral interference in the 2021 election — and former governor general David Johnston — tapped by the Liberal government to be its special rapporteur on election interference — have had past affiliations with the foundation. Conservatives have argued that fact compromises both investigations.

Last week's resignations only spurred more outrage from the opposition, with both Conservatives and Bloc Québécois MPs calling for investigations of the foundation. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre wrote to the Canada Revenue Agency asking it to "launch a fulsome audit" of the foundation, with a focus on donations the charity received from foreign governments.

On Friday, the foundation itself asked the auditor general to probe the 2016 donation.

Here's what we know about the organization at the centre of the controversy.

The foundation was established in 2001 to honour the former prime minister, who died in 2000. In 2002, the federal government endowed it with $125 million to help fund its core operations. It also accepts private donations. The foundation describes itself as an independent and nonpartisan charity.

The foundation helps fund and promote academic and public interest research. It awards up to 20 doctoral scholarships each year and finances up to five research fellowships. It also supports a network of "mentors" to help young academics and organizes public events, such as book launches and lectures on public policy issues.

These mentors — who have included former Supreme Court justices, current and former politicians, journalists and business leaders — receive an honorarium and travel costs during their term.