Editing Gerald Butts (section)

===2015 Canadian election and premiership of Justin Trudeau===
{{rquote|right|If the Liberals were to win the 2015 election, Gerald Butts could become one of the most powerful people in Canada.|Lee Berthiaume<ref name="ottcitzen" />}}
{{rquote|right|... it's hard to picture Trudeau running for prime minister without [Gerald Butts].|A fellow political aide<ref name="thewalrus.ca"/>}}

In 2012, stemming from a two-decade-long friendship, Butts became the senior political adviser to Justin Trudeau <ref name="thewalrus.ca">{{cite web |url=https://thewalrus.ca/justin-and-gerald/ |title=Justin and Gerald |first=Scott |last=Reid |date=April 23, 2014 |accessdate=June 7, 2017 |work=[[The Walrus]]}}</ref> and one of the few people with whom Trudeau consulted regularly.<ref name="martinpatriquin"/> During Trudeau's initial time as Liberal Party leader. He also assisted on the vast majority of policies on which Trudeau campaigned.<ref name="martinpatriquin"/> He was appointed Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister on November 4, 2015.<ref name=Parliament/>

On September 21, 2016, ''[[The Globe and Mail]]'' reported that Butts had charged moving expenses to Canadian taxpayers in the amount of $126,669.56 to relocate his residence from Toronto to [[Ottawa]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/top-trudeau-aides-butts-telford-expensed-over-200000-for-moving-homes/article31995512/| title= Top Trudeau aides Butts, Telford Expensed Over $200,000 for Moving Homes| first=Laura| last=Stone |work=The Globe and Mail |location=Toronto | date=September 21, 2016| archive-date=June 7, 2017| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170607191950/https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/top-trudeau-aides-butts-telford-expensed-over-200000-for-moving-homes/article31995512/| url-status=live}}</ref> These expenses included a personalized cash payout of $20,799.10.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/butts-telford-moving-expenses-1.3774979| title=Senior PMO Staffers Gerald Butts and Katie Telford to Return $65K in 'Unreasonable' Moving Expenses| first=Peter| last=Zimonjic| publisher=CBC News| date=September 22, 2016| archive-date=June 7, 2017| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170607192038/http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/butts-telford-moving-expenses-1.3774979| url-status=live}}</ref> After it was revealed publicly, Butts agreed to repay $41,618.62.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/trudeau-says-aides-200000-moving-expenses-followed-all-the-rules/article31999944/| title= Trudeau Aides Butts and Telford to Repay Portion of Moving Expenses| first=Laura| last=Stone |work=The Globe and Mail |location=Toronto | date=September 22, 2016| archive-date=March 5, 2017| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170305122012/http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/trudeau-says-aides-200000-moving-expenses-followed-all-the-rules/article31999944/| url-status=live}}</ref>

On February 18, 2019, Butts stepped down as Trudeau's principal secretary and stated that it was to defend himself from allegations made against him in relation to the [[SNC-Lavalin affair]] and to avoid drawing attention away from the prime minister's work.<ref name=Tasker/> In a statement released on Twitter, Butts denied influencing the Attorney General and noted that he specifically recruited [[Jody Wilson-Raybould]] to join the [[Liberal Party of Canada]] and was an avid supporter during both her candidacy and her tenure as a minister.<ref name=Tasker/> Butts reiterated these claims in testimony to the House Judiciary Committee on March 6, 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://globalnews.ca/news/5025938/gerald-butts-dinner-jody-wilson-raybould/|title=Gerald Butts recalls 'very different' version of dinner with Jody Wilson-Raybould - National {{!}} Globalnews.ca|date=2019-03-06|website=globalnews.ca|language=en|access-date=2019-03-06}}</ref> At the time of Butts' resignation, Trudeau had responded by thanking him for his service, while acknowledging the integrity, guidance, and devotion that Butts had provided him.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/JustinTrudeau/status/1097573441396305924/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1097573441396305924&ref_url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/gerald-butts-resigns-pmo-1.5023675|title=Gerald Butts served this government - and our country - with integrity, sage advice and devotion. I want to thank him for his service and continued friendship. Please read his statement today:pic.twitter.com/VIaEHJMMe4|last=Trudeau|first=Justin|date=2019-02-18|website=@JustinTrudeau|language=en|access-date=2019-02-21}}</ref> In July 2019, Prime Minister Trudeau hired Butts back to play a key role in the Liberal 2019 election campaign.<ref>{{cite web |title=Former Trudeau adviser Gerald Butts playing key role in Liberal campaign - National {{!}} Globalnews.ca |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/5664371/gerald-butts-liberal-campaign/ |website=globalnews.ca}}</ref>

Between January 2017 and February 2024, Butt's [[Eurasia Group]] received over $1.5 million in contracts from the Government of Canada for consulting and geopolitical research.<ref>https://search.open.canada.ca/contracts/?sort=contract_date+desc&search_text=EURASIA+GROUP+&page=1</ref><ref>https://www.westernstandard.news/news/american-firm-employing-mark-carneys-wife-receives-huge-contracts-from-government-of-canada/60979</ref>