John Kerry vacationed on Aga Khan's private island during Trudeau visit

Former U.S. secretary of state John Kerry was on the Aga Khan's private island at the same time as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's ill-fatedfamily vacationlastChristmasbreak, CBCNews has learned.

After almosta year of opposition attacks, Trudeau was forced to apologize on Wednesdayfor the way he handled the trip, after the federal ethics watchdog determined he violated some provisions of the Conflict of Interest Act when he vacationed onBell Island in the Bahamas and took the Aga Khan'sprivate helicopter to get there.

In her report, Conflict of Interest and Ethics CommissionerMary Dawsonnoted thatother guests, including someone who she only described as "asenior American official of a previous administration,"and friends of those other guests, were also onthe island between Dec. 26, 2016 andJan. 4, 2017.

A spokesperson for Trudeau confirmed Thursday it was Kerry, a one-time Democratic presidential candidate.

A government official, speaking on background, told CBC News Kerry was there at the invitation of the Aga Khan and happened to be there at the same time as Trudeau.

At the time, Kerry still held his cabinet position in the Obama administration. U.S. President Donald Trump won the presidential election in November but didn't take theoath of office until his Jan. 20 inauguration.

While it's not clear what exactly Kerry was doing on the Aga Khan's island,Dawson's report showed Trudeau talkedto the Aga Khan about geopolitics, the Muslim world, Canadian leadership on the global stage and problems the Aga Khan was facing.

While recapping the latest trip to the private island, Trudeausaid the familiesexchanged gifts andadded that most of the families' interactions happened over meals and were personal in nature.

It wasn't the family's first time on the island. Trudeau had also accepted a vacation for himself and his family in December2014,andhis wife Sophie Grgoire Trudeauset up a trip in March 2016 with a friend of hers and their children.

"The vacations accepted by Mr.Trudeau or his family could reasonably be seen to have been given to influence Mr.Trudeau in his capacity as prime minister," said Dawson's report.

There is an exception in the act for gifts or "other advantages" from friends or relatives, but Dawson ruled it didn't apply because "Trudeau and the Aga Khan cannot be characterized as friends."

Millions in federal aid

Trudeau, whose father struck up a relationship with the spiritual leader of the world'sIsmailiMuslimsin the 1960s, maintained that he considers the Aga Khana personal, long-time friend.

Dawson alsotook Trudeau to task for not recusing himself from two meetings in May 2016 wherea $15-million grant to the endowment fund of the Aga Khan's Global Centre for Pluralism was raised.

The Aga Khan is the spiritual leader of millions of Ismaili Muslims and is listed as a member of the board of directors of the Aga Khan Foundation Canada. The foundation, which has received millions of dollars in federal government development aidover the years, is registered to lobby several federal government departments including the Prime Minister's Office, although the Aga Khan is not listed among those registered to lobby on its behalf.

Trudeau said he regretted not taking proactive precautions to ensure there was no conflict of interest or appearance of conflict of interest.

CBC News has reported Trudeau's trip cost taxpayersmore than $215,000 in transportation and staffing costs.

Opposition critics are calling on the prime minister to pay for all, or at the very least, part of those costs.

Conservative MP Peter Kent told The Canadian Press Trudeau owes it to Canadians, given the findings of the Ethics Commissioner. The NDP's Nathan Cullen agreed, saying Trudeau should pick up the tab.

A spokesperson for the Prime Minister's Office told CBCNews Trudeau has already reimbursed taxpayers for the commercial cost of flights for him and his family, which is standard practice.

Dawson's office saidadministrative monetary penalties "are not relevant in this case."

Under the Conflict of Interest Act the commissionermust suspend their investigation and notify authorities if they believe the person they are investigating has committed an offence under an Act of Parliament

In Trudeau's case there "were no reasonable grounds to believe that an offence was committed under an Act of Parliament," said the office.