Another member of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Cabinet resigned Monday over a scandal that has shaken the government in an election year.

Treasury Board president Jane Philpott, considered a star minister, said in a resignation letter that it was “untenable” for her to continue in the Cabinet because she could not defend the government.

Philpott’s friend, former Attorney General and Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould, testified last week that Trudeau and senior members of his government inappropriately tried to pressure her to avoid prosecution of a major Canadian engineering company in a case involving allegations of corruption in Libya.

Wilson-Raybould resigned from Cabinet last month after being demoted to veteran affairs minister the month before.

The scandal has rocked Trudeau’s government. Gerald Butts, his closet adviser and best friend, resigned last month and is scheduled to testify Wednesday before a Parliament justice committee in Trudeau’s defense.

Trudeau has acknowledged raising the issue with Wilson-Raybould, but has said that was appropriate.

Philpott sided with Wilson-Raybould over Trudeau over the matter.

“I have been considering the events that have shaken the federal government in recent weeks and after serious reflection, I have concluded that I must resign as a member of Cabinet,” Philpott wrote. “Sadly, I have lost confidence in how the government has dealt with this matter and in how it has responded to the issues raised.”

Philpott is a former minister of health and minister of indigenous services and was widely viewed as of one of Trudeau’s most competent Cabinet ministers.

“Unfortunately, the evidence of efforts by politicians and/or officials to pressure the former Attorney General to intervene in the criminal case involving SNC-Lavalin, and the evidence as to the content of those efforts have raised serious concerns for me,” Philpott wrote.

“I must abide by my core values, my ethical responsibilities and constitutional obligations. There can be a cost to acting on one’s principles, but there is a bigger cost to abandoning them.”

Philpott said she would continue as a Parliament member for Trudeau’s Liberal Party.

Wilson-Raybould said the same but last week declined to say she had confidence in Trudeau. Trudeau said earlier Monday he was still deciding whether Wilson-Raybould could remain a member of his party in Parliament.

The leader of the opposition Conservative Party, Andrew Scheer, tweeted that the second resignation demonstrates “Justin Trudeau’s government is in chaos.” He called again for Trudeau to resign and for a police investigation of the affair.

If convicted criminally, the Montreal-based company would be banned from receiving any federal government business for a decade. SNC-Lavalin is an economic force in Canada, with 9,000 employees in the country and about 50,000 worldwide.

Liberal lawmaker Celina Caesar-Chavannes, who announced last week that she won’t seek re-election, tweeted her support for Philpott and thanked her. She did the same for Wilson-Raybould last week.

“When you add women, please do not expect the status quo. Expect us to make correct decisions, stand for what is right and exit when values are compromised,” she tweeted.

(AP)