All I know at this point is what’s shown at this link. But it’s not good for Herb Rule, the Democratic candidate for 2nd District Congress to turn up this morning on the Washington County sheriff’s office page for charges filed by Fayetteville police for DWI, improper lane change, a consent violation and a violation of turn signal use.
UPDATE: Here’s the police report. It indicates he was arrested about 10 last night after being stopped by an officer who observed him drifting out of his lane on North College. The report says he was “verbally unwilling to cooperate” with the officer’s instructions, failed a field sobriety test and refused a breath alcohol test when taken to jail.
The docket sheet indicated he was due for a court appearance, but he bonded out on payment of $1,050.
Rule was in NWA to attend the Association of Arkansas Counties meeting in Springdale.
UPDATE II: Rule’s campaign, through consultant Debbie Wilhite, issued this statement:
Herb Rule not Guilty and Will Fight Trumped up Charges of DWI in Fayetteville
While returning to his hotel last night after meeting with friends and supporters in Northwest Arkansas and having dinner, Rule was stopped by Fayetteville Police for failing to signal a lane change. Rule had dinner two hours before being stopped. Rule said, “I was not drunk. I was in complete control of my faculties. I will fight the charges vigorously and will win. The arrest was without cause and I refused the breathalyzer and blood test as permitted by law.”
Rule met in Springdale this morning to speak to the convention of the Arkansas Association of Counties about the need to create more jobs and support better education. He thanked the County officials for their steadfast service in keeping to their budgets and providing incomparable service to the people of Arkansas.
Rule has already had one brush with impaired driving in 2010.
Republican opponent Tim Griffin, the 2nd District incumbent, is not commenting. No need.
UPDATE 3: We’ll be covering a 3:30 p.m. news conference by Rule to discuss the incident. The Fayetteville police have released the police dash cam of the traffic stop, but so far I haven’t found a way to get the large video file transferred here. I imagine somebody will have it posted eventually.