The first of the politicians convicted in the Nova Scotia MLA expense scandal is speaking out, and he’s defiant.

In an exclusive interview with CTV News, former MLA Russell MacKinnon says he doesn’t believe he did anything wrong, and is not a criminal.

MacKinnon pleaded guilty to a charge of breach of trust on Friday and was sentenced to four months house arrest at his 3.2-acre estate on the Northwest Arm in Halifax.

Although he said today he didn’t do anything wrong and that it was all a misunderstanding, he signed a statement of facts on Friday, admitting that he did something criminal.

MacKinnon pleaded guilty to improperly submitting $3,400 in receipts allegedly paid to constituency assistant Nicole Campbell, who received his 10-year-old car instead of the money.

He also admitted to submitting a false receipt for $7,500 for work allegedly done by George MacKeigan, who didn’t do the work or get the money at the time.

“The reason I pleaded guilty to breach of trust was a matter of legal process,” says MacKinnon.

He explains it was more of a timing issue.

“The official receipts were submitted before the individual had the money,” he says.

It turns out they were submitted more than four years before they received their money, and after the police investigation began.

MacKinnon shifts blame to the government as well.

“The Department of Finance, in my view, were issuing false T4 and T4As.”

MacKinnon was about to be cross-examined by the Crown prosecutor when his lawyer asked for an adjournment.

“You watch the body language of the judge and you try to make a determination of how the judge is reacting to evidence,” defence lawyer Joel Pink said Friday.

“Based on that, I thought it was time to start talking.”

Three hours later, MacKinnon changed his plea to guilty and apologized for his actions.

MacKinnon eventually paid Campbell and MacKeigan.

The former lawmaker isn’t completely confined to his $1.5-million home for four months – he can leave for medical and personal appointments.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Rick Grant