Is this really going to be America’s next Vice President?
Recently, Vice President Kamala Harris selected Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as her new running mate. While his political career has garnered much attention, Walz’s past has also drawn scrutiny, particularly an incident from nearly three decades ago.
In September 1995, when Walz was 31 years old and working as a teacher in Alliance, Nebraska, he was arrested for driving under the influence. At that time, Walz was behind the wheel of his silver Mazda, traveling at a remarkable 96 mph in a 55 mph zone shortly before midnight. A state trooper, noticing the excessive speed, pulled him over. During the stop, the officer detected a strong smell of alcohol from Walz’s vehicle.
Field sobriety tests failed to clear Walz, and a breathalyzer test revealed his blood-alcohol level was 0.128%, well over the Nebraska legal limit of 0.08%. Consequently, Walz was arrested and taken to Dawes County Jail. Although a subsequent blood test was administered, the results were not immediately available.
In March 1996, Walz entered a plea deal to a charge of reckless driving. This plea required him to acknowledge that his driving displayed a blatant disregard for the safety of others. His defense lawyer, Russell Harford, provided an unusual explanation for Walz’s behavior. Harford claimed Walz believed he was being pursued by someone and did not initially recognize the state patrol officer behind him. According to Harford, this led Walz to speed up, mistakenly thinking he was evading a threat.
Ultimately, Walz faced a $200 fine plus court costs. Despite offering to resign from his teaching position, the principal at Alliance High School convinced him to stay. The judge at the time expressed particular disappointment, noting that Walz’s role as a teacher made the incident especially troubling.
When Walz’s DUI arrest was brought up during his successful 2006 Congressional campaign, his campaign manager, Kerry Greeley, claimed Walz was not intoxicated and attributed his failure to follow commands to hearing loss from his service in the Army National Guard. She also alleged that the DUI charges were dismissed and the officer was reprimanded. However, these claims are not supported by court records or transcripts.
For context, Walz later underwent a surgical procedure known as a stapedectomy to address his hearing issues, which repaired damage to the bones in his ear.
