N.S. MLA says hackers released images of him and his wife after blackmail attempt

A member of the Nova Scotia legislature says hackers have released personal images of him and his wife after he refused to provide payment in a blackmail attempt.

Rick Burns said in a statement this evening that criminals hacked his email this week and requested money, which his family refused to pay.

The MLA for Hammonds Plains-Lucasville says the hackers accessed files on his devices and have released personal images and videos of him and his wife as punishment.

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Burns, a former IT worker first elected in 2024, says it’s a gross violation of the couple’s privacy and law enforcement is investigating.

Premier Tim Houston said in a statement that it’s unacceptable to target people in public life with extortion.

The premier said criminals targeting public officials with blackmail shakes the core of the province’s democracy.

“This is bigger than me. This is a gross violation of my wife’s privacy, and we are both victims of a grotesque crime,” Burns said in the statement.

“I realize that being an elected official comes with increased scrutiny. No one signs up for having their privacy violated in this manner and no politician’s partner deserves to be targeted in this way.”