Kamala Harris’s new vice-presidential pick, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, was once arrested for drunk driving after being caught speeding more than 40 mph over the limit.
At 31, Walz was working as a teacher in Alliance, Nebraska, when he was pulled over for driving his silver Mazda at 96 mph in a 55 mph zone just before midnight on September 23, 1995.
The arresting officer noted a strong smell of alcohol from the vehicle, and Walz failed a field sobriety test. A breath test showed his blood-alcohol level was 0.128%, exceeding the legal limit of 0.08%.
Walz was arrested and taken to Dawes County Jail. Although he was given a blood test, the results were not immediately available.
In March of the following year, Walz pleaded the charges down to reckless driving, admitting that he drove with “indifference or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property,” according to court records.
Walz’s lawyer, Russell Harford, explained that Walz had been speeding because he thought the trooper was an unidentified person chasing him, alleging the trooper did not activate his lights promptly.
Walz paid a $200 fine plus court costs and offered to resign from his teaching position, but the principal persuaded him not to, as indicated in the court transcript.
