By CHAT News Today

Fildebrandt not allowed to rejoin UCP after pleading guilty to illegal deer kill

Feb 2, 2018 | 10:46 AM

DIDSBURY, AB — Strathmore-Brooks MLA Derek Fildebrandt has pleaded guilty to illegally killing a deer last year.

Fildebrandt appeared in Didsbury provincial court Friday morning, where he pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of wildlife. A second charge of entering onto private land without permission was withdrawn.

Fildebrandt has been fined $3,000 following the Nov. 4 incident where he shot and killed a deer in a field on private land near Sundre.

Fildebrandt said in a statement he didn’t realize he was on private land and apologized.

United Conservative Party leader Jason Kenney said in a statement Friday morning that Fildebrandt, who sits as an independent, would not be permitted to rejoin the UCP caucus.

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The statement claims the party met with Fildebrandt last November and asked if there were any other outstanding matters the party should be aware of before considering his application to rejoin caucus. The statement claims Fildebrandt didn’t bring up the charges in Sundre during the meeting.

“As elected representatives, we must be expected to show the highest level of integrity,” Kenney’s said in a statement. “MLA Derek Fildebrandt has unfortunately demonstrated a pattern of behavior that does not meet that standard.”

Fildebrandt resigned from the UCP in August after it was found he had been subletting on Airbnb his taxpayer-subsidized accommodation in Edmonton and double-expensing some meals.

Last December, Fildebrandt was fined $402 following a 2016 hit-and-run in Edmonton.