Report sheds new light on Beto O'Rourke's 1998 DWI arrest
New details are emerging about a decades-old DWI arrest involving U.S. Senate Candidate Beto O'Rourke.
The El Paso congressman has openly talked in the past about his arrest. However, a new report is sharing much more serious details about what happened.
The Ted Cruz campaign right now isn't commenting. However, the Texas GOP has seized on O’Rourke's arrest and are using it as political ammo. But one political expert doesn't expect this to carry through to the polls.
O'Rourke is back home in El Paso continuing his campaign to narrow the gap between him and Republican Senator Ted Cruz. But a moment from 20 years ago near his hometown is now back at the forefront.
The Houston Chronicle obtained the police report from O'Rourke's 1998 DWI arrest. It was more serious than just getting pulled over.
According to the police report, a witness told them that O'Rourke was speeding when he "lost control moments later and struck a truck traveling in the same direction… It sent [O'Rourke's car] across the center median and to a complete stop." The witness also said that he "then attempted to leave the scene," but the witness turned on headlights "to get the defendant to stop."
SMU Political Science Professor Matthew Wilson says especially in today's political world with scandals abound, the new report might not mean much.
“It will be a negative story for a few days. It’s certainly not what Beto O'Rourke would prefer to be talking about,” Wilson said. “A DWI arrest from two decades ago just isn't going to register that high on voters’ scale for how they would determine to vote.”
O'Rourke released a statement through his campaign on Friday. He did not address the specifics about fleeing or crashing.
“I drove drunk and was arrested for a DWI in 1998,” the statement said. “As I've publicly discussed over the last 20 years, I made a serious mistake for which there is no excuse."
“This story is out well ahead of time, weeks and weeks ahead of the election, so voters have a lot of time to digest it,” Wilson said. “And by the time they actually cast a vote, I think this story will be pretty far in the rear view mirror.”
The report says O'Rourke blew a .13. At the time, the legal limit was .10. O'Rourke completed a court-approved diversion program and had the charges dismissed.