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The leader of the Massachusetts Democratic Party was arrested during a traffic stop on alleged drunken driving charges last month and days later admitted to prosecutors there were sufficient facts to support a conviction, according to state court records.
A judge on June 15 — two days after the traffic stop in the town of Southborough — continued the operating under the influence (OUI) liquor charge without a finding after Steve Kerrigan, chairman of the state’s Democratic Party, entered an “admission to sufficient facts,” a Massachusetts legal disposition in which a defendant acknowledges prosecutors have enough evidence to obtain a conviction, according to Westborough District Court records.
In addition to the OUI charge, Kerrigan, 54, faced a negligent operation charge and a marked lanes violation. The negligent operation charge was dismissed, and he was found not responsible for the marked lanes violation.
The judge sentenced Kerrigan to a year’s probation, suspended his driver’s license for 45 days, ordered him to pay $600 in fees and required him to complete an impaired driving education program.
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Kerrigan was elected chair of the Massachusetts Democratic Party in 2023. He was the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor in 2014, and previously served as an executive with the Democratic National Convention Committee. He also serves as president and CEO of the Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center.
According to a Southborough Police Department report, an officer stopped Kerrigan shortly after midnight on June 13, after observing his BMW traveling on or over the lane divider.
The officer wrote that Kerrigan’s eyes appeared “glassy” and “bloodshot red” and that his speech was slow and slurred. The report states the officer could not detect the smell of alcohol because of what was described as an “overwhelming odor of cologne.”
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Kerrigan told the officer he was driving home from a restaurant and said he had consumed two beers around 6 p.m. before dinner, according to the report.
Police administered field sobriety tests before Kerrigan provided a breath sample that registered a 0.089% blood alcohol content, according to the report. The legal blood alcohol limit in Massachusetts is 0.08%.
Kerrigan acknowledged the incident in a statement provided to Boston.com through his attorney, Andrea Levy.
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“In June, I was pulled over for a marked lanes violation and blew a .089 on the breathalyzer,” Kerrigan said. “I regret and take full responsibility for my actions and their consequences and appreciate the Southborough Police Department and the Westborough Court for their professionalism and service.”
The Massachusetts Democratic Party did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
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