By New York Post (Politics) | Created at 2025-03-05 01:46:14 | Updated at 2025-03-05 18:26:36
16 hours ago
A Democratic lawmaker in Connecticut was arrested for driving while impaired over the weekend, becoming the fourth state representative from the party to be caught by authorities with a buzz behind the wheel over the last two years.
State Rep. Aundré Bumgardner, 30, was arrested shortly after 2 a.m. Sunday when town police allegedly caught him driving with a blood alcohol content two times higher than the legal limit on Gold Star Highway in Groton.
Bumgardner — who was elected at 20 years old, making him the youngest state rep in Connecticut’s history — put out an apology and said he is dedicated to making things right, but he did not specify what exactly he plans to do.
“Last night, I was cited for operating a motor vehicle while under the influence. I take full responsibility for my actions and deeply regret this mistake. I am grateful that no one was harmed and that no accident occurred,” Bumgardner wrote in a statement Monday.
“I recognize the seriousness of this situation and am committed to taking the necessary steps to ensure it never happens again. To my family, friends, colleagues, and the residents of the 41st District, whom I am honored to serve, I sincerely apologize for my actions and the disappointment I have caused.”
Groton town police did not release more details about the incident.
Following his arrest, Bumgardner, an assistant majority leader in the state House of Representatives, was stripped of his assignments and suspended from all committees, according to Speaker of the House Matt Ritter.
Three other state representatives found themselves in similarly unfit states behind the wheel in 2023, according to Connecticut Insider.
State Rep. Geoff Luxenberg, deputy leader of the House Democratic caucus, was arrested on Nov. 16, 2023 and charged with driving a vehicle while under the influence.
While driving, Luxenburg repeatedly hit the brakes and swerved into a right-turn-only lane and back around 1 a.m. before he was apprehended by Willimantic police, cops said.
On March 16, 2023, state Rep. Robin Comey, a Democrat representing Branford, was charged with DUI following a crash in Hartford. Comey currently faces a lawsuit filed by a man who claims that she struck his SUV when her car flipped in Hartford.
At the time of the crash, police said that Comey’s blood-alcohol content was 0.14, which is .05 above the legal limit in Connecticut.
On Jan. 5, 2023, state Rep. Quentin “Q” Williams, a 39-year-old Democrat representing Middletown, was killed by a wrong-way driver after leaving Gov. Ned Lamont’s inaugural ball. While he was not responsible for the crash, Williams’ blood-alcohol content was above the legal limit, according to toxicology tests.
The wrong-way driver also died in the head-on collision and toxicology tests found that her blood-alcohol level was above the legal limit. She also had THC in her system at the time, officials said.
Bumgardner is scheduled to appear in court on March 14 at the Superior Court in New London.
