Trump ambassador linked to scandal-ridden movement in Canada: report

One of President Donald Trump's ambassadors has been linked to a scandal-ridden movement in Canada because of his involvement with a right-wing voting group, according to a new report.

Pete Hoekstra, Trump's ambassador to Canada, has been linked to a separatist group in Alberta that has coordinated with a right-wing group in Michigan called 10xVotes for more than a year, PressProgress reported on Monday. The separatist group, known as the Centurion Project, is under investigation by Canadian authorities after it obtained private information about more than 3 million Alberta voters. A lawyer recently told the CBC that the data breach is one of the “the most significant privacy incidents” in Canadian history.

"The issue of foreign support of Alberta separatist groups has been an open question since the US State Department confirmed earlier this year that Trump administration officials have held multiple meetings with Alberta separatist leaders," PressProgress reported.

Hoekstra has claimed he "was not aware" of the relationship between The Centurion Project and 10xVotes, although some of the comments from David Parker, who leads The Centurion Project, have called that claim into question, according to the report.

For instance, Parker has claimed that Hoekstra's group has been advising The Centurion Project behind-the-scenes for about a year. The report cites claims Parker made during a recent podcast interview, where he said the Centurion Project is the result of his collaboration with 10xVotes.

The two groups also appear to be using almost identical apps to spur low-engagement voters to vote, according to the report.

"First rolled out during the 2024 US presidential election, its backers tout 10xVotes as the secret weapon that helped deliver Michigan’s 15 electoral college votes to Donald Trump," according to the report. "Michigan Republicans are currently holding state-wide information sessions about 10xVotes in hopes that the technology will help send right-wing candidates to Congress after this fall’s midterm elections."

"A version of 10xVotes’ Michigan app reviewed by PressProgress has a substantially similar interface and functionalities as the Centurion Project’s app in Alberta," it added.