Alberta MLA Mike Allen should resign from legislature after arrest in prostitution ring

Alberta MLA Mike Allen should do the right thing and resign from the legislature.

On Tuesday, the Canadian Press — and other media outlets — reported that the 51 year old Progressive Conservative legislator was arrested as part of a prostitution ring in Minnesota, where he was attending a conference on behalf of the government.

He had allegedly responded to an advertisement for sex and was arrested when he agreed to pay undercover female police officers for sexual services.

In a statement, released Tuesday, Allen apologized for his "mistake."

"I informed the Chief Government Whip of a legal incident that I have been involved in. Pending resolution of this incident, I have resigned from the government caucus and all legislative committee effective immediately," he wrote.

"I apologize to my family, my friends, my constituents, my colleagues, my staff, and to all Albertans for the embarrassment I have caused in failing to live up to the standards expected of me and the standards I expect of myself. I made this mistake as a result of a profound lapse in my personal judgment. It is a mistake for which there are no excuses and for which I accept full responsibility."

Late Tuesday, in an impromptu CTV interview at the Edmonton airport, Allen would not commit to resigning from the legislature altogether.

[ Related: Alberta politician arrested in prostitution sting in Minnesota, resigns ]

For whatever reason, it appears that most analysts and politicians have shied away from holding Allen to account.

So, kudos to the opposition Wildrose Party for doing so.

"Albertans expect their elected officials to follow a higher ethical standard of behaviour and to obey the law, both of which Mr. Allen failed to do," Wildrose leader Danielle Smith said in a statment.

"For an MLA to behave in this manner while travelling abroad on government business is unacceptable and he owes it to the people of Fort McMurray and all Albertans to immediately resign."

By contrast, the Alberta NDP refused to comment saying that they were not calling for Allen's resignation, and the Liberals did not reply to an email from Yahoo! Canada News.

Other pundits and analysts contacted by Yahoo! Canada News also chose not to comment.

Certainly, this is a sensitive issue but it's an issue that should be discussed. After all, an elected representative was arrested in a prostitution ring and is not denying the accusations!

How can Allen continue to represent the good people of Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo?

[ More Political Points: PMO withholding Wright/Duffy email from RCMP: report ]

Political communications consultant Marcel Wieder, however, suggests that Allen can still salvage his political career.

"There are a number of recent situations that parallel this. For example, Elliot Spitzer and Anthony Wiener in United States have both been involved in sexually explicit situations. Now both of them are seeking higher office again," Wieder, President of Arrow Communications Group, told Yahoo! Canada News.

"The issue will be how he handles it with his constituents and family. If his wife and family stick by him it will make it a little bit easier. He will need to sit in the proverbial penalty box for sometime before he can move forward."

Wieder continued:

"Given that he is a rookie MLA, He may be able to ride out any negative fallout. The fact that it is considered a misdemeanor in Minnesota means that she will not face any jail time and therefore won't force him from office. With three years to go until the next Alberta election if he plays his cards right he should be able to recover get back into caucus and be a candidate for reelection."

Another, unnamed analyst, also suggested that Allen "could make it through this" citing former B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell who kept his seat following his arrest for impaired driving in Hawaii in 2003. "Campbell," he said "even won two more mandates."

But isn't facing your constituents with a drunk driving charge while on holiday is probably a lot easier than facing them after being caught in a prostitution ring while on government business?

The Canadian Press is reporting that the U.S. prosecutor will decide by the end of the week on whether to formally charge Allen.

Regardless of the prosecutor's decision, is Allen's political career over? Should it be?

Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.

(Photo courtesy of the Canadian Press)

Are you a politics junkie?
Follow @politicalpoints on Twitter!