Derek Fildebrandt has resigned from the United Conservative Party caucus.
The resignation comes after several days of unflattering stories about renting his taxpayer subsidized apartment, filing expense claims twice for the same meal and then Tuesday evening there were revelations about legal issues he’s facing in Edmonton.
A woman has alleged he hit her vehicle in the summer of last year and left the scene without leaving a note.
In a statement announcing the resignation, the Strathmore – Brooks MLA says the media controversy is distracting from the work the newly formed UCP must focus on during its leadership race, so he’s stepping aside to focus on his family and constituents.
He’ll sit in the legislature as an independent MLA, but interim UCP leader Nathan Cooper says he could be welcomed back.
Cooper writes in his own statement if Derek can live up to the expectations he has outlined in his statement to the satisfaction of the caucus and to Albertans, there would be consideration to allow him to return.
Derek Fildebrandt’s full statement:
I have decided to step down from the United Conservative Party Caucus.
I have worked for more than a year to help create the United Conservative Party, because Alberta needs a new government that can fight for the common-sense priorities of regular people.
During the fight for unification, I said that we must put Alberta before our party, and before ourselves.
This young party cannot afford to be distracted from the formative period that it is in right now as we come together as conservatives. I owe that to my colleagues, my party members, my constituents, and all Albertans.
Right now, media controversy is distracting from the work that must be done as the UCP is founded. The UCP Leadership race should be focused on issues of leadership and values, and not on personalities.
I have made honest mistakes – always doing what I believed was best at the time – and I accept responsibility, and am truly sorry.
As media attention now passes from public issues to private issues, taking responsibility is not enough, and so I have submitted my resignation from the UCP Caucus to our Interim Leader Nathan Cooper.
My time now will be focused exclusively on my family and on the constituents of Strathmore-Brooks, who I am honoured to represent in the Legislature. My family and my constituents are the most important things to me, and I want to do them proud.
I’m a flawed man, and I can do better. If I have let anyone down, know that I have let myself down, and I will prove that that I am the man that I hold as the standard for trust and integrity.
I do this job, because I love Alberta, its land, and its people. I will never stop fighting for them.
Derek Fildebrandt,
MLA for Strathmore-Brooks
