TribBlog: Driving While Lobbying [Updated]

Former State Rep. Pat Haggerty, R-El Paso was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence in San Diego on Saturday after failing a sobriety test at a police checkpoint, according to a report first confirmed by the Voice of San Diego, a nonprofit news organization. State Sen. Troy Fraser, R-Horseshoe Bay, was one of three people in the car with Haggerty. (The other two occupants have not been publicly identified). Police arrested the lawmaker-turned-lobbyist after finding his blood-alcohol level exceeded the .08 state limit.

Haggerty did not return phone calls seeking comment about the incident, but Fraser, who was not arrested, had this to say: "I did not suspect the driver was intoxicated. If I had thought that he was impaired in anyway, I would have offered to drive."

Rita, a records clerk with the San Diego Sheriff’s Department who declined to provide her last name, confirmed that the agency had Haggerty in its custody after the DUI arrest. He was later released after posting a $2,500 bond.

Lawmakers and lobbyists from all over the U.S. are in San Diego this week for the American Legislative Exchange Council.

It is still unclear whether Haggerty will be charged with a crime. The San Diego City Attorney's Office, which handles misdemeanor crimes in San Diego, has not yet received recommended charges from the California Highway Patrol, spokeswoman Gina Coburn said.

Update:

The Voice of San Diego reported late Wednesday that a spokeswoman with the California Highway Patrol said the agency will be submitting charges to the city attorney’s office soon. She also declined to provide the names of the other passengers in the vehicle.