Interim ethics commissioner Martine Richard has stepped down just weeks after being appointed.

The announcement was made by the Office of the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner on Wednesday.

Richard was supposed to be in the role for the next six months while officials searched for a permanent replacement.

But her appointment caused an uproar as she is the sister-in-law of Intergovernmental Affairs Minister and Liberal MP Dominic LeBlanc.

The Conservatives called Richard’s appointment a conflict of interest and accused the government of breaking the rules.

“These are the Liberals. The intergovernmental affairs minister – the new ethics commissioner’s brother-in-law – was found guilty of breaking the Ethics Act,” Conservative MP Michael Barrett said during a heated exchange in the House of Commons last month.

In 2018, LeBlanc violated conflict of interest rules when he awarded a lucrative Arctic surf clam licence to a company linked to his wife’s cousin.

The Liberals defended the appointment, saying she has been a senior official in the commissioner’s office for over a decade.

“There were already measures in place to ensure that the work is done professionally and without conflicts given the connections,” said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who noted that Richard started under former Conservative prime minister Stephen Harper.

Trudeau also highlighted that Richard has, in the past, also replaced the previous ethics commissioner while he was on medical leave for serious health problems.

Richard will stay on in a senior position with the commissioner’s office.