Canada's embattled foreign minister resigned after leaving classified documents at the home of an ex-girlfriend who had ties to members of a motorcycle gang.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced May 26 that he had accepted the resignation of Maxime Bernier who came under fire in recent weeks amid reports that a former girlfriend had previous relationships with men linked to the Hell's Angels.

"Mr. Bernier has learned and informed me that he left classified documents in a nonsecure location. This is a serious error," Harper said.

"It's only this error. It's a very serious mistake for any minister. We must always accept responsibilities for the documents that are classified. The minister has immediately acknowledged the gravity of this mistake," he added.