"Fla. lawmaker to take leave over cocaine" by Michael S. Schmidt | New York Times, November 21, 2013
CAPE CORAL, Fla. — Florida Republican Representative Henry Radel said Wednesday he was taking a leave of absence from Congress and donating his salary to charity after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge of cocaine possession and receiving a sentence of a year’s probation.
Radel made the announcement at a crowded news conference where he acknowledged that he had let down his country, his family, and southwest Florida residents.
He said he takes responsibility for what he did, adding, ‘‘I want to be a better man.’’
At a court hearing earlier Wednesday in Washington, Radel told a judge, ‘‘I’ve hit a bottom where I realize I need help’’ in acknowledging that he purchased 3.5 grams of cocaine from an undercover police officer.
Is that a lot?
As part of a plea agreement Radel admitted he agreed to buy the cocaine for $250 in a Washington neighborhood on Oct. 29. After the undercover officer gave Radel the drugs federal agents confronted him, court documents show. Radel agreed to talk with the agents and invited them to his apartment, where he also retrieved a vial of cocaine he had in the home, the documents said.
At his news conference in Florida late Wednesday, Radel said he has been struggling with alcoholism and substance abuse ‘‘off and on for years.’’ He said that he will enter an in-patient treatment program.
And how long has he been serving in Congress?
‘‘I’m not going to sit here and make any excuses for what I’ve done,’’ he said. ‘‘I have let down our country. I’ve let down our constituents. I’ve let down my family.’’
Get out.
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"Florida governor calls for Radel’s resignation" by Ashley Parker | New York Times Syndicate, November 27, 2013
WASHINGTON — Governor Rick Scott of Florida added his voice Tuesday to calls for Representative Trey Radel to resign from Congress after pleading guilty to cocaine-related charges here last week.
“We have to hold all of our elected officials to the highest standards,” Scott told reporters in Florida
On Monday , Lenny Curry, the chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, called on Radel, 37, to step down. And state party strategists consider the Radel scandal an opportunity for other politicians who are looking to move to Congress, and they see no downside in holding a special election if Radel resigns.
Radel, a former television anchorman and conservative talk show host in southwest Florida, won the seat in the 19th District — which includes the cities of Naples and Fort Myers — in 2012, with 62 percent of the vote.
He pleaded guilty a week ago to a misdemeanor charge of buying 3.5 grams of cocaine in Washington last month and was sentenced to a year of probation.
No jail?
No jail?
During a late-night news conference last week, Radel said he would take a leave of absence from Congress, enter “intensive inpatient treatment,” and work to regain the trust of his family and constituents.
Did he offer you guys a line?
Did he offer you guys a line?
He blamed his “extremely irresponsible choice” on his “struggle with the disease of alcoholism,” and checked into a rehabilitation facility in Naples.
I'm tired of the "booze excuse" -- unless you guys want to prohibit it again.
He said he would donate his salary to charity until he was able to return to Congress.
Why do these guys think giving back the money always makes things better? It's the being drunk part, isn't it?
A growing number of Republicans in Florida say that is not enough.
I'm tired of the "booze excuse" -- unless you guys want to prohibit it again.
He said he would donate his salary to charity until he was able to return to Congress.
Why do these guys think giving back the money always makes things better? It's the being drunk part, isn't it?
A growing number of Republicans in Florida say that is not enough.
Republican leaders in Congress, however, have largely steered clear of weighing in on what he should do next.
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