Former US Congressman Tim Mahoney Charged With DUI

August 6, 2011 2:11 PM

Tim Mahoney was released from jail Saturday after he was arrested for DUI. (Source: Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office)

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MIAMI (CBS4) – Former U.S. Congressman Tim Mahoney is out of police custody after he was arrested for DUI when police said they found him sleeping in his parked car on a South Florida road early Saturday.

Mahoney, a Democrat who filled former Congressman Mark Foley’s seat, was sleeping behind the wheel around 3 a.m. Saturday in Palm Beach Gardens, police said. Fifty-four year-old Mahoney was charged with DUI “based on the investigation and after talking to the driver,” Palm Beach Gardens Police Commander William Brandt said.

Mahoney was out of police custody as of 11:15 a.m. Saturday.

No other details were given. Mahoney, a multimillionaire venture capitalist, will be released on his own recognizance, though a jail spokeswoman declined to say when.

A telephone message left for Mahoney was not immediately returned Saturday.

It’s the second scandal to rock Mahoney in recent years. The political newcomer who ran on a family values platform lost his re-election bid in 2008 after revealing he’d had several affairs and put one of his lovers on the federal payroll as a congressional staffer. She later became a campaign worker.

He then fired her — he said for performance issues — and paid her $121,903 to keep her quiet and avoid a sexual harassment lawsuit.

Mahoney has insisted he broke no laws. His wife later filed for divorce.

Mahoney also acknowledged a 2007 affair with a high-ranking Martin County official in his district around the time he successfully lobbied the Federal Emergency Management Agency to give the county a $3.4 million hurricane cleanup reimbursement.

Florida’s 16th District, which spans parts of eight counties from Palm Beach County westward toward the Gulf, has been a magnate for sex scandal in recent years.

Republican Mark Foley resigned from Congress in 2006 amid revelations that he sent lurid Internet messages to male pages who had worked on Capitol Hill as teenagers.

Michael Wind

he was not driving its just a parking ticket,let him go if he cooperates and tells about his corrupt public officials that are now running the show.

AntiBoozer

If he was behind the wheel, and he had access to the keys, it’s a DUI under the law. had he crawled into the back seat, and kicked his keys out of reach, he might have seen a lesser charge.
Carol

You took the words right out my mouth I felt the exact way he parked his car and didn’t hurt anybody it could have been a lot worse.

Maritza

Listen I have no problem if he wants to have multiple affairs or even if he wants to get drunk (although I do feel sorry for him if he is an alcoholic).

My problem is that he and many others like him are spending tax payers money on all kinds of crazy personal stuff.

This is a crime.

But not only is it a crime, our country was downgraded yesterday by the world financial ratings bodies.

This is wrong, wrong, wrong!

yokolee

Pardon me…..he is a former politician
is not your tax money, is his money
read the article

Mari

I commend him for at least not having the car in motion, but…how did the car get there? Yes, he’s charged with DUI. At least he did not kill anyone.☺
Carol

At the very least he didn’t kill or hurt anyone I know that is against the law but it is more against the law to harm someone.

In the old days the police would have driven him home and made sure he would be off of the road instead of arresting him.
yokolee

How can it be D.U.I when the car was not moving?
El Buitre

YOKOLEE…if you are in the car there is corollary that you drove it…however, IF YOU THROW AWAY THE KEYS, THEY CAN’NOT CHARGE YOU COS YOU HAD IN LEGAL GAME PLAY..”NO CONTROL OF THE CAR”…These republicans are prolly worser than terrists and Bill Clinton behind the whhel.