Crapo arrested on DUI charge
Alexandria, Va., police say Idaho senator failed sobriety tests early Sunday morning
ALEXANDRIA, Va. — U.S. Sen. Michael Crapo was arrested early Sunday morning and charged with driving under the influence in a Washington, D.C., suburb, authorities said. Police in Alexandria, Va., said Sunday that the Idaho Republican was pulled over after his vehicle ran a red light. Police spokesman Jody Donaldson said Crapo failed field sobriety tests and was arrested at about 12:45 a.m. He was transported to the Alexandria jail and released on an unsecured $1,000 bond at about 5 a.m.
“There was no refusal (to take blood alcohol tests), no accident, no injuries,” Donaldson said. “Just a traffic stop that resulted in a DUI.” Police said Crapo, who was alone in his vehicle, registered a blood alcohol content of .110. The legal limit in Virginia, which has strict drunken driving laws, is .08. The 61-year-old Crapo has a Jan. 4 court date.
“I am deeply sorry for the actions that resulted in this circumstance,” Crapo said in a statement Sunday night. “I made a mistake for which I apologize to my family, my Idaho constituents and any others who have put their trust in me. I accept total responsibility and will deal with whatever penalty comes my way in this matter. I will also undertake measures to ensure that this circumstance is never repeated.”
A Crapo spokesman declined to comment on the circumstances surrounding his arrest. Currently in his third term, Crapo has been in the Senate since 1998, and served for six years in the U.S. House of Representatives before that. He was easily reelected in 2010, and won’t have to run again until 2016.
In Congress, Crapo has built a reputation as a staunch social and fiscal conservative. It was expected he would take over the top Republican spot next year on the Senate Banking Committee. He also serves on the Senate’s budget and finance panels. Crapo was a member of the so-called “Gang of Six” senators that worked in 2011 toward a deficit-reduction deal that was never adopted by Congress.
A Mormon who grew up in Idaho Falls, Idaho, Crapo was named a bishop in the church at age 31. He is an attorney who graduated from Brigham Young University and Harvard Law School. He has five children with his wife, Susan, and three grandchildren. The Mormon Church prohibits the use of alcohol, as well as caffeine and other mind-altering substances. The state has a significant Mormon population. Crapo has told the Associated Press in past interviews that he abstains from drinking alcohol.
All I can say is oops. Here's a little known fact. If a Mormon drinks, he/she stands a 50% more chance of alcoholism than the general population. Why? Well, it's a guess, but my theory is that the prohibition around the use of alcohol is so great that the guilt creates a great escape through more and more alcohol. Crapo has erred in a big way. The BAC indicates this wasn't his first time at the ol' bar stool.
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