Report: Tea party Rep. Trey Radel busted for cocaine possession
@MarcACaputo
U.S. Rep. Trey Radel, the tea party freshman Republican from Fort Myers, was arrested Oct. 29 for cocaine possession in Washington D.C, Politico reported.
Radel, who faces a maximum of 180 days in jail and a fine of up to $1,000, was charged Tuesday in D.C. Superior Court with misdemeanor cocaine possession and is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday.
A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police Department said the agency has no record of Radel's arrest; the U.S. Attorney’s office for the District of Columbia declined comment. Radel couldn't be reached.
If Radel had been arrested in his home state for cocaine possession, he would have faced far more-serious consequences than in Washington. The crime is a felony in Florida, where Radel would have lost his voting and other civil rights had he been convicted in state court.
Though Radel would probably be able to hang on to his congressional office were he convicted of felony drug possession in Florida, he wouldn't be allowed to work for Gov. Rick Scott, who wants to drug test state employees.
A libertarian-leaning Republican, Radel doesn't support lock-em policies. He was a co-sponsor of a bill to reduce mandatory-minimum sentencing, which is blamed for incarcerating drug users for prolonged periods and increasing prison populations.
A former TV news anchor and radio-show host, the 37-year-old political newcomer won his Republican-leaning district in 2012 and defeated a host of bigger names in a crowded GOP primary that included Chauncy Goss, the son of former U.S. Rep. Porter Goss, and former state Reps Paige Kreegel and Gary Aubuchon.
Radel's campaign was accused of dirty tricks when opponents learned he bought up phony websites in their names that appeared to be maintained by them and that, his critics said, misled voters. His business, Trey Enterprises, also owned sexually explicit website names that fellow Republicans criticized.
A fan of rap music, Radel frequently mused about loving old-school hip-hop like Public Enemy, used his Vine account to post off-beat videos of him ordering and drinking coffee, and freely engages and jokes with constituents, consultants and reporters on Twitter. He also posts numerous photos of him and his young son.
Radel made a splash in DC by appearing to be a younger, hipper version of fellow Florida Republican and rap lover, Sen. Marco Rubio, whom he jokingly challenged to a rap trivia contest.
"To me, Tupac is what I'ma be listening to in my car. Biggie is at the party," Radel told Now This News earlier this year. "Man, Rubio's good. I know that Marco is definitely up to date on a lot of the newer stuff," but "you throw me in a match in any old school hip hop, I'll kill it."
Radel's political positions are a little more hard-edged. He was one of the original group of Republican lawmakers to start talking about a federal-government shutdown and suggested impeaching President Obama over gun use.
However, Radel and his office have fallen silent amid the latest news.
U.S. Rep. Trey Radel, the tea party freshman Republican from Fort Myers, was arrested Oct. 29 for cocaine possession in Washington D.C, Politico reported.
Radel, who faces a maximum of 180 days in jail and a fine of up to $1,000, was charged Tuesday in D.C. Superior Court with misdemeanor cocaine possession and is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday.
A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police Department said the agency has no record of Radel's arrest; the U.S. Attorney’s office for the District of Columbia declined comment. Radel couldn't be reached.
If Radel had been arrested in his home state for cocaine possession, he would have faced far more-serious consequences than in Washington. The crime is a felony in Florida, where Radel would have lost his voting and other civil rights had he been convicted in state court.
Though Radel would probably be able to hang on to his congressional office were he convicted of felony drug possession in Florida, he wouldn't be allowed to work for Gov. Rick Scott, who wants to drug test state employees.
A libertarian-leaning Republican, Radel doesn't support lock-em policies. He was a co-sponsor of a bill to reduce mandatory-minimum sentencing, which is blamed for incarcerating drug users for prolonged periods and increasing prison populations.
A former TV news anchor and radio-show host, the 37-year-old political newcomer won his Republican-leaning district in 2012 and defeated a host of bigger names in a crowded GOP primary that included Chauncy Goss, the son of former U.S. Rep. Porter Goss, and former state Reps Paige Kreegel and Gary Aubuchon.
Radel's campaign was accused of dirty tricks when opponents learned he bought up phony websites in their names that appeared to be maintained by them and that, his critics said, misled voters. His business, Trey Enterprises, also owned sexually explicit website names that fellow Republicans criticized.
A fan of rap music, Radel frequently mused about loving old-school hip-hop like Public Enemy, used his Vine account to post off-beat videos of him ordering and drinking coffee, and freely engages and jokes with constituents, consultants and reporters on Twitter. He also posts numerous photos of him and his young son.
Radel made a splash in DC by appearing to be a younger, hipper version of fellow Florida Republican and rap lover, Sen. Marco Rubio, whom he jokingly challenged to a rap trivia contest.
"To me, Tupac is what I'ma be listening to in my car. Biggie is at the party," Radel told Now This News earlier this year. "Man, Rubio's good. I know that Marco is definitely up to date on a lot of the newer stuff," but "you throw me in a match in any old school hip hop, I'll kill it."
Radel's political positions are a little more hard-edged. He was one of the original group of Republican lawmakers to start talking about a federal-government shutdown and suggested impeaching President Obama over gun use.
However, Radel and his office have fallen silent amid the latest news.
Read more here: http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2013/11/report-tea-party-rep-trey-radel-busted-for-personal-cocaine-possession.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter#storylink=cpy
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