U.S. Representative Mike Lawler of New York disclosed that he was arrested for driving while intoxicated on St. Patrick's Day in 2012 in New York City. Lawler, a Republican representing one of the most vulnerable House districts, shared the information in an interview with News 12.
Lawler, 39, stated he was pulled over and charged with DWI after consuming alcohol. He expressed disappointment in himself, particularly regarding his father, who was a recovering alcoholic and battling cancer at the time. "It was not my proudest moment. It was something I was deeply embarrassed about," Lawler told students at Nanuet High School last month during a presentation on distracted driving. He added, "More importantly, I could’ve killed myself or someone else. I was grateful that I was pulled over and nobody was hurt."
The congressman was arrested on the Palisades Parkway on March 17, 2012. According to The Journal News at the time, he was initially charged with driving while intoxicated but later pleaded to the lesser charge of driving while ability impaired, a misdemeanor.
Lawler is a former GOP Assemblyman who defeated former Representative Mondaire Jones in 2024. He faces Democrat Cait Conley in the upcoming November election. He is considered among a group of Republican incumbents in swing districts targeted by Democrats seeking to regain control of the House of Representatives.