The 2006 congressional campaign of Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the newly picked vice presidential candidate for Democratic presumptive nominee Kamala Harris, falsely denied he was drunk on the evening of his September 23, 1995, arrest in Nebraska, according to a 2006 report by The Post Bulletin.
The then-31-year-old Walz drove 96 miles-per-hour in a 55 mph speed zone in his silver Mazda while under the influence of alcohol, according to the New York Post. The now-Democratic governor of Minnesota reportedly underwent a breath test which calculated his blood-alcohol level at 0.128%, well over the legal limit of 0.08%.
Authorities arrested Walz and brought him to Dawes County Jail, the Post reported. He later pleaded guilty to reckless driving charges during a March 1996 court hearing where he admitted to disregarding “the safety of persons or property,” according to a transcript of the court hearing obtained by Alpha News.
Walz’s 2006 congressional campaign denied the then-candidate was drunk at the time of his arrest, according to a 2006 report from The Post Bulletin. Walz’s then campaign manager, Kerry Greeley, cited Walz’s deafness caused by his time as an artillerist in the Army National Guard for the misunderstanding between himself and the officer.
“He couldn’t understand what the officer was saying to him,” Greeley said.
Since Minnesota Governor Tim Walz is officially being reported as a favorite to become the VP pick for Kamala Harris.
Here he is pictured from his DUI arrest where he was going 96 in a 55. He then lied to police about being deaf in an attempt to avoid his arrest. pic.twitter.com/HVMznZaNe5
— Dustin Grage (@GrageDustin) August 5, 2024
Greeley further claimed the judge scolded the officer for not realizing Walz was deaf, the Post Bulletin reported. The transcript of the court hearing does not back up Greeley’s claims.
Walz told The Minneapolis Star Tribune in 2018 that he had been watching college football with his friends and failed a sobriety test that night. He reportedly no longer drinks alcohol and instead favors Diet Mountain Dew.
Walz’s lawyer at the time, Russell Harford, alleged his client sped because he believed the officer was “somebody chasing him,” according to the court transcript.
“This is a little bit bizarre, but Mr. Walz thought somebody was chasing him. The officer didn’t turn on his red lights and he — somebody came up real fast behind him and he didn’t know what they were doing,” Harford told Judge James Hansen. “So he sped up to try to get away, fearing that somebody was after him. Lo and behold, it was a state patrolman that was behind him, so the faster he went, the faster the state patrol officer went.”
Walz taught as a teacher at Alliance High School at the time of his arrest, and he offered to resign from his position over the incident, according to the Post. The school principal reportedly talked Walz out of resigning.
Walz underwent surgery in 2005 to repair damaged bones inside his ears, according to MPR News.
Harris formally picked Walz on Tuesday to be her running mate in the 2024 election against Republican nominee Donald Trump and vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance. Walz called his appointment “the honor of a lifetime” and confirmed he is “all in” on being on the ticket.
Featured Image Credit: Flickr/Nikolas Liepins/Official Governor’s Office Photo
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