Chief of Defence Staff General Jonathan Vance and Jody Thomas, deputy minister of national defence, attended cabinet on Tuesday but officials say it had "nothing to do" with Norman.

"I think, in hindsight, not the best framing of words," Procurement Minister Carla Qualtrough said of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau weighing in twice on the case.

A GoFundMe campaign set up to cover the legal costs of Vice-Adm. Mark Norman has raised more than $100,000 with help from a long list of donors including Jason Kenney.