'My Actions Are Inexcusable': State Lawmaker Apologizes For Driving Under The Influence

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- A Minnesota state lawmaker apologized Friday for driving under the influence last weekend.

State Rep. Tou Xiong (DFL-Maplewood) issued a statement saying that last Saturday he made a "terrible mistake."

"After departing a community gathering, I was pulled over by law enforcement for driving under the influence. My actions are inexcusable and I sincerely apologize. I have a lot of work to do in the coming days, weeks, and months to earn back the trust of my constituents and people I've let down, and that will be my focus going forward."

According to online jail records, Xiong was arrested for DUI and booked into the Anoka County Jail on Sunday.

Xiong is the second elected official in the Twin Cities to apologize for driving under the influence in recent weeks. Last month, Hennepin County Sheriff Dave Hutchinson pleaded guilty to DWI after drunkenly crashing a county-owned vehicle in central Minnesota.

A number of Hennepin County commissioners and other public officials have called for Hutchinson to step down, but the sheriff said that he will let the residents of Hennepin County decide his future in November.