Georgia state Rep. Tom Taylor on Thursday said he will work to regain the trust of his constituents after being arrested for driving under the influence with a blood-alcohol content nearly three times the legal limit.
Taylor, 54, a Dunwoody Republican, had a blood-alcohol content of .225, when arrested April 7 with four children in his SUV and while wearing a gun in Rabun County, according to a Clayton Police Department incident report obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Taylor’s arrest was first reported Thursday by The Clayton Tribune.
“I profoundly regret this mistake,” Taylor said in a statement to the AJC. “There’s no one to blame but me and I greatly appreciate the professionalism of the officers involved. This was my first run-in with the law in my life and it will also be my last.”
Taylor was stopped at 2:45 p.m. for driving 72 mph in a 45 mph zone, according to the police report. Officer Michael Bennett reported that Taylor exited his vehicle and was legally carrying a gun on his hip. Bennett said Taylor had “an overwhelming odor of alcohol,” but denied that he had anything to drink.
The officer said in his report that Taylor’s face “was very red and eyes were bloodshot.”
After Taylor gave permission to search his car, officers found an empty water bottle “which smelled of alcoholic beverage,” according to the police report. After Taylor refused to comply with instructions for a field sobriety test, he was arrested and charged with DUI, possession of an open container of alcohol and speeding, the report said.
Taylor is not the first state lawmaker to face DUI charges. State Reps. Chuck Sims and Kip Smith were both charged with DUI in the past four years. Neither are currently serving in the General Assembly.
Taylor, chairman of the joint House-Senate committee that oversees MARTA, faces Tom Owens in the May 24 Republican primary for House District 79.
Taylor vowed to “demonstrate my remorse not just in words but in my actions.” He said he’s dedicated his life to public service, from the Navy to Dunwoody City Council to the General Assembly.
“This offense falls far short of the standards expected of someone who holds a position of public trust, and I will work every day to restore that trust as I continue to serve the people of my district,” he said.
Owens, who lost a bid for a seat on the DeKalb County Commission in 2014, made headlines in that campaign for seeking a restraining order against local blogger George Chidi. Owens did not like how Chidi was trying to ask him questions. A judge later canceled the restraining order.
Owens has been accused previously of accosting a Doraville religious thrift shop owner and a Doraville city council member accused Owens of stalking him.
Multiple efforts to reach Owens on Thursday were unsuccessful.
Despite Owens’ issues, Mike Hassinger, a Republican campaign consultant and DeKalb resident, said Taylor faces an uncertain political future.
The arrest, he said, is “obviously a political hit and Tom Taylor’s success in that election, which looked like a foregone conclusion, is now somewhat in doubt.”
Owens is “toxic to most of the voters in that district,” Hassinger said. “But Representative Taylor must explain how he is going to address what appears to be a serious substance abuse issue in order to regain the trust of his constituents.”
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