Rep. Mike Lawler said he was arrested for drunk driving in 2012 after driving home from Manhattan on St. Patrick’s Day when he was 25. He told News 12 he was emotionally distraught after learning his father’s cancer had spread. Lawler said revealing the incident was especially painful because his father was a recovering alcoholic. The case was resolved with a plea to Driving While Ability Impaired (DWAI). The admission comes as he seeks reelection in a competitive New York district.
Rep. Mike Lawler Reveals 2012 Drunk-Driving Arrest Ahead Of Reelection Bid
Republican Rep. Mike Lawler, the incumbent in a competitive New York congressional district, has publicly disclosed that he was arrested for drunk driving in 2012.
In an interview with News 12, Lawler said the arrest occurred on St. Patrick’s Day while he was driving home from Manhattan. He was 25 at the time and said he had just learned that his father’s cancer had spread to his brain, a development that left him emotionally distraught.
"You understand the severity of it, and the very likelihood that he wouldn't have too much more time. I ultimately went down to the city and proceeded to drink, made a decision to drive home," Lawler said.
Lawler described one of the most painful parts of the episode as having to tell his father, who had been a recovering alcoholic and sober for nearly 20 years. "I was deeply disappointed in myself... but moreover disappointed that I let my dad down," he added in the interview.
The matter was ultimately resolved when Lawler pleaded to Driving While Ability Impaired (DWAI), a lesser charge than a typical DWI. No additional legal details were disclosed in the interview.
This disclosure comes as Lawler campaigns for reelection in a swing district, making the episode a potentially significant development for voters and political opponents.
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