Congressman Arrested In Cocaine Bust To Resign
Florida Republican Congressman Trey Radel, who was arrested several months ago in a buy-and-bust by the Washington, D.C. Police, is resigning from office:
Rep. Trey Radel (R-Fla.) will resign from Congress on Monday, according to multiple sources.
Radel, 37, was caught buying cocaine in November from an undercover federal agent in Washington and spent nearly a month in a rehabilitation facility. He returned to Congress after the winter recess.The first-term Republican plans to send a letter to Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) Monday, sources said.It’s up to Florida Republican Gov. Rick Scott to schedule a special election for Radel’s seat. His southwest Florida district is solidly Republican — Mitt Romney won the district with 61 percent of the vote.
As the Politico article goes on to note, several candidates had already been lining up on the GOP side of the aisle to either challenge Radel should he have tried to run for re-election or to step in should he, as he has chosen now, resign. Radel initially had entered rehab after pleading guilty to reduced charges and insisted that he would stay in Congress, but it was clear from the time the story came out that his fellow Republicans both in Florida and in D.C. just wished he’d go away.
Radel’s district stretches from Ft. Meyers down to Naples on the Gulf Coast of Florida, a heavily Republican area, so it’s unlikely that this would be a pick-up opportunity for a Democratic candidate.
Best aspect of this story: Radel was a strong voice for mandatory drug testing for food stamp recipients — http://www.politico.com/story/2013/11/trey-radel-arrest-food-stamps-100138.html
@matt bernius:
But of course, good sir! Rules are for thee and none are for me is the mantra of the land. Only peasants have to worry about such things…..
@KM:
To be fair, post-arrest Radel called for random drug tests of congress people as well citing his case as an example for why its necessary: http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/194372-radel-expects-random-drug-testing-when-he-returns-to-congress
Fiscal conservatives my ass. He could have just said he would not run for re-election and finish out his term. But noooooooooooo…. Now Floridians will have to waste a bunch of money electing a replacement for the final 8 months of his term. Stupid, just plain stupid.
DOUG!!!! YOU’RE BACK!!!! Just noticed, hope you are well.
@matt bernius:
I’ll second that, and let the schadenfreude begin.
He didn’t blame Obama for going on a political witch hunt for him? That usually works with the Party of Personal Responsibility.
@matt bernius:
That sounds more like Taking Them Down With Me then actual concern about a real problem…
A Representative from Florida getting arrested in a cocaine bust? First I thought that it was this guy, I mean he even admitted that he enjoyed it.
But then I remembered that he left Congress quite a while ago.
😉
@merl:
Well.
It’s clear that this was a set up. Radel only wanted to buy some sugar, but the agent instead gave him cocaine.
Obama has now put his top team working on how to poison the fake tan product that Boehner is using.
I wonder if things would have been different if Radel had fessed up to his cocaine issues rather than blaming the demon rum? He and we will never know.
@rudderpedals:
Yeah, I liked his “yes I was a drunk, but I was a *functional* drunk defense…” Radel said the boozing never effected his work performance. Hell of a job there Radel.
Honestly, no love at all for me remembering Robert Wexler’s hilarious Colbert Report interview where he professed his love for cocaine and prostitutes? That bit is Colbert Report Gold….