Flying under the radar is Democratic VP nominee Tim Walz's speeding charge in 1995 that may have involved drunk driving.
A 31-year-old teacher and coach in his home state of Nebraska, Walz was pulled over on the night of Sept. 23 for exceeding the speed limit by 40 miles per hour. The officers suspected Walz was under the influence and, after he failed a sobriety test, a blood test at the local hosptial revealed a high level of alcohol in his system. Court records say Walz admitted to drinking that night.
He was charged with the suspicion of speeding and driving while under the influence and taken to Dawes County Jail. The DUI charge was eventually dropped and he paid a $200 fine for reckless driving.
Nine years later, Walz had moved to Minnesota and was running for Congress when the incident resurfaced during the campaign. Walz and his reps danced around it, saying Walz has hearing loss and couldn't hear what the officer was saying to him during the sobriety test, that he wasn't impaired and drove himself to the police station "and then left on his own after being at the station. The DUI charge was dropped for a reason – it didn't happen."
The police report differs with the account of Walz driving to the station and instead says he was taken to a hospital for the blood test and then to jail. Walz also contended he sped because he thought he was being followed and police sirens were not in use.
During his gubernatorial campaign in 2018, Walz acknowledged he'd been drinking the night in question.
Walz is now sober and says his drink of choice is Diet Mountain Dew.
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