By Leah Murray

Derek Fildebrant resigns from UCP caucus

Aug 15, 2017 | 10:14 PM

EDMONTON, AB — The United Conservative Party announcing it has accepted Derek Fildebrandt’s resignation from caucus.

The news broke just after 9:00 P.M. Tuesday.

In a statement UCP interim leader Nathan Cooper thanked Fildebrandt for his commitment to the creation of the party and to his constituents in Strathmore-Brooks.

Fildebrant made his own statement over his professional Facebook page saying the media controversy is distracting from the work of the UCP.

“I have made honest mistakes – always doing what I believed was best at the time – and I accept responsibility, and am truly sorry,” the statement read.

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Fildebrandt has been under fire in recent days and was on a leave of absence as the UCP Finance critic, after it was revealed he earned money off his tax payer funded apartment by renting it out on Airbnb.

More recently members of the UCP caucus spoke out against him after it came to light that Fildebrant had been doubling up on meal expense claims, a move he chalked up to an administrative error.

Fildebrandt will now sit as an independent MLA in the legislature and vowed to prove he can do better.

“My family and my constituents are the most important things to me, and I want to do them proud,” his statement read.

Cooper said there may still be a future for Fildebrandt in the UCP.

“If Derek can live up to the expectations he has outlined in his statement, to the satisfaction of the UCP caucus and to Albertans there would be consideration for a future path for him back to the UCP caucus,” said Cooper.