Macdonald was also criticized for concealing the fact that he took some money illegally to complete the railway. In 1873 as The Pacific Scandal became known, the construction of the railway suspended temporarily.

麦克唐纳还被指责隐瞒事实，非法挪用资金完成铁路建设。那次有名的1873年的“太平洋丑闻”曾使铁路建设一度停了下来。