Crapo pleads guilty to DUI charge
(CNN) – Sen. Michael Crapo, arrested in December for driving drunk in Virginia, said Friday after pleading guilty to the charges he had brought "shame" upon himself and his family.
Crapo will pay a $250 fine and surrender his license for a year, though a 180-day jail sentence was suspended on condition of good behavior. Last week Crapo's spokesman said the Idaho Republican would not contest the charges.
Crapo was arrested just before 1 a.m. ET on December 23 in the Washington suburb of Alexandria, Virginia after a police officer noticed his vehicle running a red light. Alexandria police said Crapo's blood alcohol level was .110 at the time of his arrest.
A second blood alcohol test taken at a detention center registered a different blood alcohol level, according to Crapo's spokesman Lindsay Nothern, but he was not certain why the levels differed.
Following his plea, Crapo spoke to reporters about the night of his arrest, saying he was driving through Alexandria to "wind down" and mistakenly turned against a red light.
Crapo is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which prohibits the use of alcohol among its members. On Friday, Crapo explained he began using alcohol "in recent months."
"For less than a year, I have, on occasion, had alcoholic drinks in my apartment in Washington, D.C.," he said. "It was a poor choice to use alcohol to relieve stress, and one at odds with my personally held religious beliefs."
"My mistake in using alcohol in the recent months has therefore brought additional shame upon me and my family and other church members who care about me," he continued. "I will carry through on appropriate measure for forgiveness and repentance from my church, and ask all of you for your forgiveness."
Crapo has represented Idaho in the Senate since 1999, and before that served in the U.S. House of Representatives for six years. Crapo was re-elected in 2010 with 71% of the vote and is a member of the Senate's "Gang of 8."
CNN's Gregory Wallace contributed to this report.
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I think there was a time when drunk driving, womanizing, soliciting sex in a public restroom, and other such scandals would force a person to resign from office. In some other culture, he might even fall on his sword or something similar. Now, they pay a slap-on-the-wrist fine and head back to work. Life is pretty good for rotten folks these days.
Will the Mormons at least impose some penalty on this guy for embarrassing them? Are there any adults in the federal government anymore, or are they all irresponsible children?
Put him in jail so that travellers travel safely!!! Uphold the law, respect me–for telling this truth.
This is BS...... if it was one of us regular people it would be costing us $3,000 – $10,000, 1 year suspension and in some states up to three years in Jail. What's with the 180-day jail sentence was suspended on condition of good behavior, what's he get the I'm a good Mormon discount. Lock him up that what he would have done to us if he was the Judge.
V_mag: Mormons are notorious for getting their folks off the hook in legal matters. I know of one instance in AZ where a women who stole a total of over 5000 pain killers (over the period of 2-3 years) from a dentist office and sold them on the street got community service.
Meanwhile, didn't the "diaper man" senator from Louisiana just get reelected in 2010? Strange folks you GOPers keep believing in and voting for.
Wow, hope this guy can get through such a harsh sentence! I think someone jaywalking would have a harsher penalty.
It's just ridiculous.
Crapo is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which prohibits the use of alcohol among its members.
-------------------------------------------------l
Look, there are things that the Catholic church frowns upon that Catholics turn a deaf ear to, but the difference with these flag-waving, country-hating, Bible-carrying, greedy domestic terrorists in office is their hypocritical holier-than-thou attitudes.
Crapo. What a freaking name to go through life with.
I guess Crapo crapped out.
Crapo got caught doing some crap.
Etc....!
LOL!
TAX CHURCHES NOW! As here, they are an endless fountain of manipulative hypocrisy. Why did this sanctimonious scuhmbag not do the 180 days?
They should of sentenced him to 180 days of doing the job he was elected for.
What I've never understood is why people go along with wrist-slap punishment for big wigs. People in important positions with lots of money should, in my way of thinking, be held to stricter standards than poor folks whose crimes are driven by lack of education, bad upbringing, poverty, ill health, and hunger. Instead, the rich mostly get off. Steal $100 from 7-11 and you'll go to jail for years. Steal millions from a lot of people and you do a little community service. You might not even have to pay all the money back.
Republicans used to pride themselves on being law-and-order folks. Why are they not calling for harsher penalties for rich people who commit crimes? Wouldn't it be great to see some rich baddies lose everything, like a poor criminal would?