Republican Senator Michael Crapo has pleaded guilty to drink-driving, at a court in the state of Virginia and has had his driver’s licence suspended for one year.
Michael Crapo, a Mormon, must also pay a $250 fine and take an alcohol safety course.
The Republican from Idaho said he had “several, probably two to three” vodka tonics in his flat in Washington, DC before deciding to go for a drive.
Police stopped him when he drove through a red light.
The authorities registered blood-alcohol levels of 0.11% after his arrest in the Washington suburb of Alexandria.
The legal limit for blood-alcohol levels is 0.08%.
“I am grateful, truly grateful, that no-one was injured,” Senator Michael Crapo said, as he asked for forgiveness from his constituents.
Michael Crapo added that he had tasted alcohol for the first time about a year ago, and had started drinking several nights a week to relieve stress.
“I was already thinking in my own mind that this had to end,” he told reporters.
“I believe in my heart that I had already recognized that I was on a bad path and I needed to find a different path to follow.”
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