Idaho senator told officer he drank vodka before DUI arrest

BOISE, Idaho — U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo of Idaho is headed back to Washington, D.C., to participate in negotiations over averting the so-called fiscal cliff and doesn’t plan to immediately provide details about what led to his arrest early Sunday on suspicion of drunken driving.

However The Washington Post has reported that Crapo  ran a red light in Alexandria, and told a police officer who pulled him over that he had “consumed several shots of vodka,” according to court documents.

The Republican lawmaker’s spokesman in Boise, Lindsay Nothern, said Crapo was traveling Wednesday after spending Christmas with family in Idaho Falls.

The three-term senator is accused of registering a 0.11 percent blood-alcohol level on a breath test after running a red light in Alexandria, Va., where the legal limit is 0.08.

Nothern says Crapo plans to eventually provide more information about his arrest. He provided no timeframe but indicated it could be several days.

Crapo, who is 61, faces a Jan. 4 court hearing.

According to the Post, Crapo was arrested after making a left turn on a red light at Commonwealth and Mt. Vernon avenues Ave., documents show. He was alone in his white Jeep SUV.

“When I spoke with the driver I immediately detected a strong odor of alcoholic beverage on his breath, which became stronger as he spoke,” the arresting officer wrote.

Crapo said he drank the vodka hours earlier, and hadn’t had anything to drink since, documents show.