Politics

Freshman Florida Congressman Arrested for Cocaine Possession

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Of course he would be from Florida! GOP Rep. Trey Randel, representing the Fort Meyers-Naples area of Florida, was arrested in D.C. for possession of cocaine. From Politico:

Rep. Trey Radel, a Florida Republican elected in 2012, will be in court Wednesday on charges that he possessed cocaine.

Radel, 37, was charged with misdemeanor possession of cocaine in D.C. Superior Court on Tuesday.

He faces a maximum of 180 days in jail, as well as a fine of up to $1,000. Radel has missed all four votes in the House this week.

He gave a statement saying he "struggles with the disease of alcoholism" and is going to seek treatment and counseling and is sorry for letting everybody down.

If he had been caught with cocaine in Florida, it would have been a felony there, risking him jail time and loss of his voting rights (not that either of those things would have probably happened to him). The Washington Post noted that Randel is a co-sponsor of federal legislation to reform mandatory minimum sentences for drug violations (and is a lover of rap music).

Read the whole story (and more of Radel's statement) here.

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