US Sen. Crapo arrested, charged with DUI

AP Photo: Alexandria Police Department. Crapo DUI arrest: Sen. Mike Crapo's booking photo, provided by the police department in Alexandria, Va. IMAGE

12/24/12

U.S. Sen. Michael Crapo, R-Idaho, was charged with driving under the influence after police stopped him early Sunday for running a red light in Alexandria, Va.

ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Idaho U.S. Sen. Michael Crapo was arrested early Sunday morning and charged with driving under the influence in a Washington, D.C., suburb, authorities said.

Police in Alexandria, Va., said Sunday that the Idaho Republican was pulled over after his vehicle ran a red light. Police spokesman Jody Donaldson said Crapo failed field sobriety tests and was arrested at about 12:45 a.m. without incident. He was transported to the Alexandria jail and released on an unsecured $1,000 bond at about 5 a.m.

Video: Sen. Crapo arrested, charged with DUI

"There was no refusal (to take sobriety tests), no accident, no injuries," Donaldson said. "Just a traffic stop that resulted in a DUI."

Police said Crapo, who was alone in his vehicle, registered a blood alcohol content of .110. The legal limit in Virginia, which has strict drunken driving laws, is .08.

Crapo (pronounced KRAY-po) has a Jan. 4 court date.

"I am deeply sorry for the actions that resulted in this circumstance," Crapo said in a statement Sunday night. "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."

A Crapo spokesman declined to comment on the circumstances surrounding his arrest.

Currently in his third term, Crapo has been in the Senate since 1998, and served for six years in the U.S. House of Representatives before that. He was easily re-elected in 2010, and won't have to run again until 2016.

In Congress, Crapo has built a reputation as a staunch social and fiscal conservative. It has been expected he would take over the top Republican spot next year on the Senate Banking Committee. He also serves on the Senate's budget and finance panels. Crapo was a member of the so-called "Gang of Six" senators that worked in 2011 toward a deficit-reduction deal that was never adopted by Congress.

A Mormon from Idaho Falls, Idaho, Crapo has five children with his wife, Susan, and three grandchildren. He is an attorney who graduated from Brigham Young University and Harvard Law School.

The Mormon Church prohibits the use of alcohol, as well as caffeine and other mind-altering substances. The state has a significant Mormon population.

Crapo has told the Associated Press in past interviews that he abstains from drinking alcohol.

(Associated Press writers Norman Gomlak in Atlanta and Josh Lederman in Washington contributed to this report.)

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