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Speaker: Let Process Work With Lawmaker On Drunk Driving, Weapons Charges: "People Make Mistakes"

Ohio House
Rep. Wes Retherford (R-Hamilton)

A Republican state lawmaker from southwest Ohio has issued a statement about his arrest on drunk driving and weapons charges over the weekend – and so has the House Speaker.

Rep. Wes Retherford (R-Hamilton) said in a statement he’ll miss committee hearings and session for the rest of the week, after allegedly passing out drunk in his running car in a McDonald’s drive thru very early Sunday morning. Speaker Cliff Rosenberger (R-Clarksville) didn’t have much to say other than he’ll let the process play out and he’s thinking of Retherford and his family. “It’s not conduct becoming of a member of the Ohio House – I think he knows that. People make mistakes,” Rosenberger said.

A liquor cabinet in Retherford’s office against Statehouse rules came up in last year’s relection campaign – he said he’d bought it from a former lawmaker, it was only there temporarily and he had it removed. Retherford is also facing a charge of improperly storing the loaded gun he had in the car.

Contact Karen at 614-578-6375 or at kkasler@statehousenews.org.