Northern Ireland's Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly said she was "floored, shocked and utterly repulsed" by the news of former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson's arrest and the charges he faces.
Little-Pengelly stated that she "can say hand in my heart" that she did not witness anything during her time working with Donaldson that suggested issues with problematic drinking or sexually inappropriate behavior. She noted that if such behavior were occurring, it would likely have been a topic of discussion among the many individuals from Northern Ireland who attend St. Patrick's events in Washington D.C.
"I find it astounding that people haven't been talking about that for the last 20 years," Little-Pengelly commented, suggesting a disconnect between her observations and the allegations that have emerged.
She recalled that Donaldson would occasionally have a glass of wine at events but never appeared to drink excessively. "On some of this other stuff, look, I don't know whether some of these allegations are true or they're not true," she said. "All I can say is that I never saw problematic drinking from Jeffrey Donaldson. If anything, Jeffrey Donaldson was somebody who seemed to work all of the time."
Little-Pengelly's comments come after reports of Donaldson's arrest and subsequent charges. The specifics of the allegations against Donaldson have not been detailed in the provided notes, but they have led to widespread surprise among those who worked with him.