A nurse harassed by a sitting MLA should be reimbursed for her legal fees, says the NWT's integrity commissioner.

An open letter penned by David Phillip Jones to House Speaker Shane Thompson was released on April 24, recommending the legislature cover the nurse's legal costs since the government already covered Tu Nedhe-Wiilideh MLA Richard Edjericon's legal fees after he was fined $2,500 for improper conduct. Edjericon paid the fine.

"MLA EdjericonSA国际影视传媒檚 conduct caused [the nurse] particular and personal harm in her employment," Jones wrote. "I found the representations from her legal counsel to be helpful in understanding what occurred as well as addressing Mr. EdjericonSA国际影视传媒檚 responses, and coming to the conclusion that he had breached the code of conduct. In my view, it would be unjust and unfair for the assembly to pay Mr. EdjericonSA国际影视传媒檚 legal fees (even though he was found to have breached the code) but make [the nurse] pay her own.

"With respect to the amount to be reimbursed, my recommendation is for the assembly to reimburse [the nurse] for her legal fees for the number of hours spent by Mr. (Austin) Marshall using the $325 hourly rate which the assembly pays for a memberSA国际影视传媒檚 legal counsel."

Edjericon was fined by the legislative assembly in October after being found in breach of the NWT MLA code of conduct for ongoing harassment towards the nurse in question. On Oct. 8, Jones wrote that Edjericon "orchestrated a continuous campaign of harassing the nursing staff at the health centre in Fort Resolution, and, in particular, had mounted a campaign based on innuendo, hearsay and rumours to have the nurse-in-charge terminated from her position and removed from the community."

Edjericon admitted fault on Oct. 11 in a written statement.