The twice-reelected Republican Senator was arrested on Sunday in a Washington D.C. suburb, after ignoring a red light and testing for a blood alcohol content of 0.110, reports USA Today. In Virginia, the legal limit for blood alcohol level while driving a vehicle is 0.08.
Police spokesman Craig T. Fifer said that an officer on routine patrol reported Crapo’s vehicle ignore a red light. The vehicle was stopped without incident at Hume Avenue at 12.45 a.m. Crapo failed several field sobriety tests and was taken into custody with full cooperation. He was released from Alexandria jail by 5 a.m. on an unsecured bond of $1,000. He will be appearing in court in relation with the charges on January 4.
In a statement made on Sunday night, Crapo, 61, said, “I am deeply sorry for the actions that resulted in this circumstance … 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.”
Crapo was part of a bipartisan group of senators dubbed the “Gang of Eight” who were trying to work on a budget deal to avoid the “fiscal cliff.” He is known in the Congress for his strongly conservative views on all things. Currently he serves on the Senate’s budget and finance panels.