Democratic Lawmaker Arrested on Suspicion of Drunk Driving

On Friday, multiple reports alleged that Los Angeles police arrested California assemblywoman and Los Angeles city council candidate Wendy Carrillo on suspicion of driving under the influence.

https://x.com/JeremyBWhite/status/1720494694017462777?s=20

In a report from Politico, the 43-year-old politician confirmed in a statement that she had crashed into parked cars prior to her arrest but that no one was injured and she was cooperating with police. 

According to jail records cited by The Associated Press, Los Angeles police officers responded to a collision just past midnight on Friday morning, bringing Carrillo into custody on a misdemeanor offense. 

“As a public servant, I am aware that I must adhere to a higher standard that demands personal accountability for my conduct and I accept responsibility for my actions,” Carrillo said in a statement, reported by the AP. “I sincerely apologize to my family, constituents, colleagues and staff for any actions of mine that have fallen short of that expectation. I intend to seek the necessary help and support.”

Carrillo is one of the candidates running for the council seat of Kevin de  León, who suffered a scandal in October 2022 when audio tapes of him and others making derogatory and racist remarks towards another councilmember leaked to the public. 

All of the other people involved, including former LA City Council president Nury Martinez, resigned their positions amid pushback from the public. 

De  León however, didn’t seem keen on surrendering the position and is seeking something of a political comeback. 

“When a lot of people that I called my friends and allies turned away from me, my constituents had my back,” de León told Politico on what has motivated him to run for reelection. “I understood in a deeper way the relationship that I had with my community and how that motivates and drives me. That’s why I’m still here. And that’s why I’m running.”

Both de León and Carrillo are members of the Democratic Party, and Carrillo’s DUI charge is the second that a Democratic politician has been issued in 2023, following California Democratic state Sen. Dave Min’s arrest on suspicion of drunk driving earlier this year. 

Min is squaring off against Democratic lawyer Joanna Weiss to succeed Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA) in Congress.