Kamala Harris' new vice-presidential pick, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, faces scrutiny over a past drunk driving arrest where he was caught speeding 41 mph over the limit and had a blood-alcohol level significantly above the legal limit.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, recently chosen as Kamala Harris' vice-presidential pick, was once arrested for drunk driving after being caught speeding more than 40 mph above the limit.
In September 1995, Walz, then a 31-year-old high school teacher in Alliance, Nebraska, was pulled over for driving 96 mph in a 55 mph zone. Court documents reveal that when the trooper approached his vehicle, he detected a strong smell of alcohol. After failing a field sobriety test, Walz's breath test showed a blood-alcohol level of 0.128%, exceeding the state’s legal limit of 0.08%.
Walz was arrested and taken to Dawes County Jail. Though he was given a blood test, those results weren’t immediately confirmed.
In March of the following year, Walz pleaded the charges down to reckless driving, admitting to driving with "indifference or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property." His lawyer, Russell Harford, explained that Walz was speeding because he thought the trooper was "somebody chasing him" and hadn’t turned on his lights immediately.
Walz was fined $200 plus court costs and offered to resign from his teaching position, though the principal persuaded him not to. The judge reprimanded Walz, emphasizing that as a teacher, he was expected to be a role model.
During Walz's 2006 congressional campaign, his campaign manager, Kerry Greeley, downplayed the DUI incident, claiming he wasn’t drunk and had difficulty understanding the officer due to hearing loss from his military service. She also asserted that the DUI charges were dropped and that the judge reprimanded the officer for not recognizing Walz’s hearing impairment.
.png)