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Sen. Crapo Consumed Vodka Prior to Arrest in Del Ray

U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) is scheduled to appear in Alexandria court on Jan. 4.

 

U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) admitted to consuming several shots of vodka hours before being arrested and charged with driving under the influence early Sunday morning in Del Ray, according to Alexandria General District Court documents obtained by Patch.

Crapo was pulled over near the corner of Mount Vernon and Hume avenues after an Alexandria police officer on routine patrol noticed Crapo's vehicle run a red light. The 61-year-old was arrested at 12:45 a.m. and taken into custody “without incident,” according to a police spokesperson. Crapo was transported to the city’s Adult Detention Center and later released on an unsecured $1,000 bond. He is scheduled to appear in court on Jan. 4.

According to the criminal complaint filed by the Alexandria Police, the arresting officer noticed a white vehicle driving north on Commonwealth Avenue make a U-turn just north of the street’s intersection with Mount Vernon Avenue. The officer reported that the vehicle then stopped at a red light at the Mount Vernon-Commonwealth intersection, but later made a left turn to move south onto Mount Vernon Avenue while the signal remained red. The officer, positioned on the south side of the intersection, then initiated a traffic stop.

Upon encountering the driver, identified as Michael Dean Crapo with an address in Washington, DC’s Capitol Hill neighborhood, the officer detected a strong odor of alcohol on Crapo's breath “which became stronger as he spoke,” according to the criminal complaint. The officer wrote that the driver exhibited slurred speech and described the driver’s eyes as “bloodshot and watery.”

“The driver indicated that he consumed several shots of vodka hours earlier and did not consume any more alcoholic beverages since,” the officer wrote in the report.

The driver failed to complete several sobriety tests. He was then offered and agreed to take a preliminary breath test. The breath test showed the driver had a blood alcohol content level of 0.11. The legal limit in Virginia is 0.08.

Crapo is charged with driving while intoxicated and disregarding a red light. His privilege to drive in Virginia was suspended for seven days for a first-time offense.

On Sunday evening, Crapo apologized for his actions in a statement.

“I accept total responsibility and will deal with whatever penalty comes my way in this matter,” Crapo said. “I will also undertake measures to ensure that this circumstance is never repeated.” 

Crapo had previously admitted to abstaining from alcohol as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.   

He is slated to take the Republican party’s top spot in the Senate Banking Committee when the 113th Congress convenes on Jan. 3.

The following day, he is scheduled to appear in Alexandria General District Court.

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Related Topics: Alexandria Police Department, Dui, Mike Crapo, Republican, Sen. Mike Crapo, and U.S. Senator

Susan

2:45 pm on Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Credibility shot. Forget it Buddy, you're done with.

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Robert E Bushnell

2:45 pm on Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Precisely how, did vodka acquire a "strong" odor?

Has Alexandria PD been practicing its creative writing skills, again? Just asking.

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Susan

2:59 pm on Wednesday, December 26, 2012

I can smell vodka a mile away.

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Bob Rouse

4:18 pm on Wednesday, December 26, 2012

The officer's report didn't say he smelled "vodka", it said he smelled "alcohol"

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Theodore Chu

6:55 pm on Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Alcoholics commonly believe vodka can't be smelled.

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Gail G

6:55 pm on Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Who does vodka shots? It's better when mixed. Sounds like he was at a frat house.

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Connie Lambert Glass

6:55 pm on Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Oh please.....credibility shot? Clinton is more popular than ever shall I go on? Who cares it can happen to anyone!

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rjp1979

9:38 am on Thursday, December 27, 2012

Actually, it only occurs to those that drive while illegally under the influence.

Tulip

11:49 am on Thursday, December 27, 2012

His credibility isn't shot. It shouldn't be shot. We are human- he made a mistake. Like a LOT of other politicians. What I don't understand is- why are so many of you judging him so harshly? Is it only because he claimed to abstain from alcohol and more importantly because he's a republican? There are so many gossipy and mean-spirited comments including yesterday's comments - It's surprising.

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Jeff Etten

12:10 pm on Thursday, December 27, 2012

I love the use of the word MISTAKE when it comes to drinking and driving. I went out last night, had a couple drinks and somehow I managed to avoid making a MISTAKE by taking a taxi home. How did I ever manage to avoid making such a MISTAKE? I'm so fortunate to have avoid making such an unfortunate MISTAKE.

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McBrinn

12:19 pm on Thursday, December 27, 2012

He didn't "make a mistake". He lied in a huge way. He ran an entire campaign on a lie. He pretended to be something he wasn't. You can't trust someone like that any further than you can throw him. His credibility is completely destroyed. The Clinton comparison is silly. Clinton didn't break promises to his constituents. He also didn't run an entire campaign based on marital fidelity issues.

This guy is done.

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Tulip

2:20 pm on Thursday, December 27, 2012

Clinton is a good comparison because he lied to the country on TV saying he didn't have sexual relations. He lied. Like this politician- he was caught doing something he shouldn't have done. You are all being quite judgemental.

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Sarah haut

4:07 pm on Thursday, December 27, 2012

Commentors are losing sight of a very important point - he was drunk driving. When you drive drunk you put yourself at risk of having an accident and hurting or killing yourself or others.

Just a public service announcement for those who have driven somewhere and find that they have had too much to drink - call a cab, call a friend, walk...just don't drive drunk!

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McBrinn

4:23 pm on Thursday, December 27, 2012

"You are all being quite judgemental."

And now Tulip is trolling.

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William Black

6:38 pm on Thursday, December 27, 2012

Seems to me that residents of an area that continually returns Jim Moran to office in the face of his deplorable behavior have no business criticizing anyone.

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McBrinn

7:35 pm on Thursday, December 27, 2012

You're an idiot, Bill.

Cheers,

McBrinn

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Connie Lambert Glass

7:57 am on Friday, December 28, 2012

Our Super of schools got a DUI and we left her in office!!! Where were you all then?

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Damon

8:09 am on Friday, December 28, 2012

Who gives a f#$@##@ ? The man needed a buzz and should have taken a cab ~

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Gail G

10:55 am on Friday, December 28, 2012

Lots of people called for School Supt Rebecca Perry to resign back when she got a DUI. It was up to the school board, which declined to fire her. In fact, ACPS paid for her limo service to work because she lost her license for a year! Another example of how our school board has historically been crap... And when former police chief David Baker got a DUI, he resigned. Crapo didn't make a "mistake." He broke the law and endangered others. Judgment will be rendered by the District Court of Alexandria and the voters of Idaho. However, Crapo is a public figure by his own volition who ran on a campaign of abstinence and held himself - again, of his own volition - to a higher standard than the rest of us. You can't blame people for pointing out the hypocrisy. I'd avoid the courthouse area on January 4. It will ne mobbed with reporters.

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CSResident

7:38 pm on Sunday, December 30, 2012

Does Crapo (what a name!) live anywhere in Alexandria?

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Gail G

9:07 am on Monday, December 31, 2012

Later reports stated that he lives in DC, near the Capitol.

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Timothy Rector

5:17 pm on Tuesday, January 1, 2013

I think he was drinking with a lobbist to try and pass a law to make all Mormons gods in the year 2013.

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Pat Rochester NY

11:45 am on Friday, January 4, 2013

Some last names NEED to be changed.

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kathleen

2:39 pm on Friday, January 4, 2013

A church bishop, a senator, a husband with 5 children, a mormon, no coffee,tea,soda with any caffine, no smokes and yet he does.....hum RESIGN. The drug always comes first, before all of the above...even GOD.

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