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Veteran state Rep. Geoff Luxenberg of Manchester, a deputy leader of the House Democratic caucus, announced late Friday afternoon that he had been arrested the night before and charged with driving a vehicle while under the influence.
“Thankfully, no one was injured and there was no accident,” he said in an emailed statement. “I am taking this matter extremely seriously and I feel it important to address the issue immediately. I am seeking personal counseling and treatment at this time to assist me in my desire to prevent something like this from happening in the future. I am truly sorry for my actions and apologize to everyone that I have let down.”
Details of the arrest were not immediately available. Luxenberg’s district lies entirely within Manchester. Rob Britt, Luxenberg’s lawyer, declined further comment.
The announcement took majority House Democrats by surprise.
“Hearing of Rep. Luxenberg’s DUI arrest is disappointing and we hope he learns from this serious lapse in judgment,” said Speaker of the House Matt Ritter, D-Hartford, and House Majority Leader Jason Rojas, D-East Hartford in a joint statement. “Geoff has indicated that he is taking steps to ensure this never happens again and we support and encourage him in that decision. We are removing Rep. Luxenberg from all committee and leadership assignments until further notice.”
Luxenberg, a real estate agent, is in his second period of service in the House of Representatives. He was first elected in 2010 and served two, two-year terms. He was again elected in 2018 and is in the third term of his second stint in the House. His was also a member of the Finance & Bonding Committee and the General Law Committee.
This incident comes six months after another House Democrat, Rep. Robin Comey of Branford, was arrested and charged with driving under the influence after crashing and flipping her car a short distance from the State Capitol. Earlier in the year, Rep. Quentin Williams of Middletown was found to have alcohol and traces of cannabis in his blood when he was killed by a wrong-way driver on Route 9 in Cromwell.
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This article was originally published by a www.ctinsider.com . Read the Original article here. .