OTTAWA - MP Tony Clement is breaking his social media silence for the first time since a sexting scandal forced him to out of the Conservative Party.

Clement made his first post to Instagram Wednesday since he resigned as a Conservative MP in November.

Wednesday's post includes a picture of him standing in the new House of Commons with a statement thanking his followers for getting him through the "dark valley" after the scandal broke.

In November Clement admitted he shared explicit images online with someone he believed to be a consenting female adult but who then turned around and demanded he pay 50,000 euros to prevent the images from going public.

He initially claimed it was a one-time lapse in judgement but when it became clear it wasn't, Conservative leader Andrew Scheer asked him to resign from the party caucus.

Clement now sits as an independent and says he is getting back to his duties as the MP for Parry Sound-Muskoka.