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January 11, 2012 in Idaho
McGee retains GOP leadership despite drunken crash
Sen. John McGee apologizes at a meeting of the Canyon County Republicans in Caldwell, Idaho, on Tuesday for a June 19 drunken driving incident.
(Full-size photo)
BOISE — Idaho Senate officials say Republican Sen. John McGee will keep his position as caucus chairman, the fourth highest ranking post in the GOP controlled chamber.
Republican senators met behind closed doors in the Idaho Capitol Wednesday to determine if McGee should retain his leadership post. Last year, McGee pleaded guilty to drunken driving in a plea deal after being arrested in a Boise neighborhood.
The Caldwell Republican has apologized for his behavior and is aware of the disappointment expressed by his senate colleagues.
The private meeting was the first chance McGee had since his arrest to address all of his senate colleagues, seek forgiveness and make a case to keep his job as caucus chairman.
McGee, who pleaded guilty to drunken driving in a plea deal that erased accompanying auto theft charges, has served jail time and paid restitution for a stranger’s vehicle that he damaged.
But because the Legislature was out, the start of the 2012 session marks the first time he’ll formally stand before his colleagues — behind closed doors on the Idaho Capitol’s fourth floor — to ask them for a vote of confidence as the chamber’s No. 4 official.
“Despite what happened this summer, I’m confident I can continue to serve in that capacity,” McGee said on Tuesday. “I really messed up, I showed poor judgment, and I have only myself to blame. Now, I want to earn back (my colleagues’) trust and respect.”
McGee, R-Caldwell, said senators have shared with him disappointment in his behavior, but he’s not aware of any of them challenging his post as majority caucus chair, which he’s held since last year.
Senate President Pro Tem Brent Hill, R-Rexburg, had only “no comment” to say, when asked if he was calling the caucus because lawmakers wanted to discipline McGee.
From the framed 2009 article in a local bank publication titled “A Balanced Man” to the endearing photos of his wife and daughters McGee keeps near his desk, the four-term senator’s office is arranged to underscore the public image he’s cultivated for himself since his days as a junior staffer for then-U.S. Sen. Dirk Kempthorne in Washington, D.C.
Now the marketing director for West Valley Medical Center in Caldwell, McGee is funny, good-looking and ambitious, with a trajectory that’s included board of directors posts at his alma mater, the College of Idaho in Caldwell, the Special Olympics and the Canyon County Republican Party — all posts bestowed ordinarily upon someone much older than his 38 years.
That careful image was shattered, or at least damaged, starting the night of June 19, when McGee began drinking at a Boise golf tournament. McGee says he largely blacked out; he simply doesn’t remember the details of what he did next.
But here’s what the police say happened: He took a Ford Excursion and cargo trailer from the southwest Boise home of a “complete stranger” and got it stuck in a yard. A breath test showed McGee’s blood-alcohol content at nearly twice the legal limit.
In 4th District Court in Boise on July 1, McGee’s lawyer, Scott McKay, told a judge there was a medical explanation: The young senator had too much to drink, had fallen and — according to a respected neurologist — sustained a concussion prior to the events leading to his arrest. That accounted for his erratic behavior, McKay suggested.
But Ada County sheriff’s officials said they would have provided appropriate treatment for a suspected concussion, not only for an inmate’s welfare, but also to protect the law enforcement agency from liability.
No such concerns emerged while McGee was behind bars.
On Tuesday, McGee again declined to provide his medical records to reporters, saying he didn’t want it to become a “slippery slope.” He did show four enlarged photographs illustrating a cut on his head under his hair, as well as bruising and lacerations on his abdomen and knee.
“I agree 100 percent with what my lawyer said in court,” McGee said.
McGee’s reputation was further bruised over the summer when the AP reported that despite having a home just 26 miles from the Capitol, he had been claiming a $122 per diem during the Legislature that adds up to some $6,000 annually. The money is meant to defray the cost of a second residence in Boise, but McGee was spending nights at his parents’ house in Boise.
Most southwestern Idaho lawmakers claim a $49 per diem.
Following the scrutiny, McGee this year is claiming just $49.
“There’s been enough discussion about this that until the policy has more clarification, I won’t be claiming a second residence this year,” he said.
Will he run for a fifth term in the May primary?
McGee isn’t ready to say. Instead, he’s concentrating on making sure he’s right with his family, has the respect of the Senate and fulfills his responsibilities to constituents over the next three months.
“I have a job to do right now,” he said. “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.”
© Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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mikeln on January 11 at 9:21 a.m.
Gee, he’s my role model, just the kind of guy I want my kids to look up to. Makes me wonder how many more of these nutcases are posing as “leaders”.
oneanddone on January 11 at 11:03 a.m.
Drunks, tax felons, and those who line their pockets - THE Idaho Legislature.
liberal_in_right_wing_land on January 11 at 11:04 a.m.
Of course he will be forgiven, this is after all the same Idaho republican party of Larry Craig and Phil Hart.
Since he’s young he will probably be running for governor soon.
RedCedar on January 11 at 11:35 a.m.
The voters of his district have the right to keep electing him if they want, but the Republican legislative caucus surely has other options. I don’t care how contrite he is, there is a price to be paid in politics for screwing up. Let them find another caucus chairman.
misjustice on January 11 at 11:49 a.m.
The per diem chicanery is more troublesome to me than the DUI; the theft shows planning and deliberate actions meant to defraud the tax payers, the DUI shows a lack of judgment but I don’t think his actions while drunk were deliberate.
At any rate, another problem child in a legislator’s body!
zelda on January 11 at 12:27 p.m.
Ya’ gotta give him credit for not being found handcuffed to a dead hooker in the car that he crashed.The bar is set low in Idaho.
I agree, Misjustice. The per diem scam is a cold, calculated expense-report theft. Yup, he’s got a bright future in politics.
pjc on January 11 at 1:11 p.m.
A perfect example of the dangers of one-party dominance.
Oregon is the same way, except all the politicians have a D next to their name. Same with Washington.
WHS on January 11 at 1:20 p.m.
Of course, imagine if he was a Democrat… Dizzee, gmorton and all the other radical right tea partiers would be all over this like a, well like a teabagger on Obama.
However, since it’s one of their own, they are strangely quiet.
WHS
PlanB on January 11 at 1:30 p.m.
They guy is definitely on his way up - gotta get some practice on small scale lying and stealing before you take on the big ones.
soccermomsusie on January 11 at 2:44 p.m.
OK for a start, but if he wants to take a leadership position in my Republican Party, he will have to lighten his loafers.
HEAR OUR VOICE!!!
woamike on January 11 at 3:08 p.m.
If he had any honor he’d resign. Apparently he doesn’t.
dataxman on January 11 at 3:13 p.m.
The per diem is not theft - it is actually legal and allowed. Happens over in Olympia as well. It would be nice if elected officials were not given per diem (or year round health care) but since they write the rules…
Bruce (aka thatoneguy) on January 11 at 4:02 p.m.
This is the fault of the unions.
MrBloggy on January 11 at 4:25 p.m.
MrBloggy is unsurprised the Idaho GOP would keep him behind the wheel. He looks very contrite in that photo effecting a aw shucks Dad I’m sorry I broke Wally’s new fishing pole look. MrB would send him to his room without dinner then go make out w June in his den.
greenlibertarian on January 11 at 5:12 p.m.
dataxman on January 11 at 3:13 p.m.
The per diem is not theft - it is actually legal and allowed.
If it IS legal, it shouldn’t be, and of course it is highly unethical.
The Idaho GOP is chock full of crooks and liars.
pjc on January 11 at 6:17 p.m.
…crooks and liars.
Unfortunately, crooks and liars are found in the Ds as well as in the Rs.
misjustice on January 11 at 7:14 p.m.
He stole 6K from the Ideeho tax payers with his per diem chicanery; a cheater, liar, and perpetrator of fraud. Not as large a cheat, liar, and fraud as Hart but well on his way…
dataxman on January 11 at 7:24 p.m.
green - ethics? Who needs ethics when you have the law on your side…
nslopeofw on January 11 at 10:56 p.m.
Fire him if he doesnt resign. They should have fired all those tax cheats in the federal government as well. Remember the little slap Charlie Wrangel got? He should have been fired, too. But like it or not, the federal government has shown us that people can cheat on their taxes, and as long as they are not regular people or Wesley Snipes, its OK. Being in government has its perks!
So it will be a little tough to can this POS for DD, when the feds allow tax cheats to stay, but still, he should be.