The husband of United States Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor charges related to driving under the influence.
Paul Pelosi was involved in a car crash in Northern California in May. He did not appear for his arraignment in Napa County Superior Court on Aug. 3. Instead, his attorney, Amanda Bevins, enter a plea on his behalf in accordance with California law.
Pelosi’s vehicle, a 2021 Porche, was hit by a 2014 Jeep while on State Route 29. The California Highway Patrol stated Pelosi was taken into custody just after midnight on May 28 on suspicion of driving under the influence and driving with a blood alcohol content of 0.08 or higher.
“His eyes appears red/watery, he was unsteady on his feet, his speech was slurred, and he had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his breath,” officers reported according to the complaint.
Court records show Pelosi was released on a $5,000 bail on May 29.
The 48-year-old driver of the Jeep was not arrested and no injuries were reported at the time.
Prosecutors have now said that they will pursue misdemeanor charges due to the Jeep driver’s undisclosed injuries which he reported five days after the incident. The driver requested privacy and his name has not been released.
The charges come with the minimum sentence of five days in jail and the possibility of five years probation.
Pelosi could also be required to complete a class on driving and alcohol and have an ignition interlock device installed in his car, which would require him to undergo a breathalyzer before the vehicle could be operated, per AP News.
Lawyers for the 82-year-old venture capitalist provided a statement after his release in May, stating Pelosi was driving to his home “a short distance away” after a dinner party and that he was alone in his car at the time of the crash.
After reports of Pelosi’s arrest surfaced, The Daily Mail reported Pelosi had been behind the wheel when his 19-year-old brother died in a car accident on Skyline Highway in 1957 while the pair were reportedly joyriding. Pelosi, who was 16 years old at the time, could have been charged with misdemeanor manslaughter but was exonerated by a coroner's jury.
His wife, Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, was in Rhode Island to deliver a commencement address at Brown University at the time of the recent accident.
A spokesperson for the Speaker told CBS News she would “not be commenting on this private matter which occurred while she was on the East Coast."
“The two have faced other controversies over the past few weeks, including after it was disclosed Paul Pelosi had purchased stocks in semiconductor company Nvidia before the Senate was scheduled to vote on a bill that would give billions in subsidies to semiconductor producers,” reports The Washington Examiner. “He later sold the shares, losing $341,365 in the transaction, according to a filing.”
The Pelosis have been married since September of 1963. The couple has five children.
