Mormon Senator Mike Crapo Pleads Guilty to Driving Drunk
Mike Crapo, the Republican Senator from Idaho who was arrested in Virginia on December 23 under the suspicion of driving while intoxicated, has pleaded guilty in a Virginia court, reports the Associated Press:
Idaho Republican Sen. Michael Crapo pleads guilty to DWI charge in Virginia court - @ap
— Breaking Politics(@breakingpol) January 4, 2013
McClatchy's David Lightman adds that Crapo was given a suspended sentence, meaning he'll be on probation for the time being:
Sen. Crapo gets 180 day suspended sentence and $250 for drink driving in Va court
— David Lightman (@LightmanDavid) January 4, 2013
Crapo's arrest drew a lot of attention — and a lot of jokes — because he's a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which prohibits the use of alcohol as well as tobacco, coffee, tea, and illegal drugs. And it wasn't as if Crapo had a few too many beers: according to court documents released in late December, the senator consumed multiple shots of vodka before attempting to drive. Still, his hometown newspaper, the Idaho Statesman, encouraged forgiveness, praising Crapo for admitting his mistake:
Crapo’s “mistake” was not on the same level as former Sen. Larry Craig’s “mistake” at a Minneapolis airport bathroom in 2007. It was worse. Crapo could have killed himself, or somebody else — which is a lot more serious than toe-tapping in a restroom stall.
But there is a difference in how they handled their mistakes. Craig blamed everybody but himself; Crapo knows the DUI arrest was nobody’s fault but his own, and took responsibility for his actions.
