A Republican senator who has said in the past that he does not drink alcohol because of his Mormon faith is headed to rehab after he pleaded guilty to a drunken-driving charge on Friday in Alexandria, Va.
The senator, Michael D. Crapo of Idaho, 61, was sentenced to mandatory alcohol rehabilitation program by a judge in the Alexandria City courthouse. His punishment includes having his license suspended for one year, a $250 fine, and a six-month suspended jail sentence.
Mr. Crapo was pulled over on Dec. 23 after he ran a red light. He was charged with drunken driving after he registered a blood-alcohol level of .11 percent, above Virginia's .08 percent limit.
The charge is a first-offense misdemeanor. In exchange for his plea Friday, prosec utors dropped a charge of failing to obey a traffic signal, The Associated Press reported.
After the hearing on Friday, Mr. Crapo apologized for his actions outside the courthouse. According to The A.P., Mr. Crapo said he had been drinking vodka and tonic at home on the night of the offense, before he went out for a drive.
Mr. Crapo said he realized that he was in no condition to be behind the wheel after driving for about 30 minutes, and that he was returning home when he was stopped.
“I am grateful, truly grateful, that no one was injured,†Mr. Crapo said.
Mr. Crapo is the top Republican on the Senate Banking Committee and serves on the Budget and Finance committees.
He is also a bishop in the Mormon Church, which discourages the consumption of alcohol.
