Breaking: Drunk Dem State Rep. Used Legislator Status To Evade DUI Driving To Work, Didn't Know Where He Was

By Brandon Hall
(Email him at WestMiPolitics@Gmail.com) 

Shocking details are emerging over Northern Michigan Democrat State Rep. John Kivela's recent arrest for driving while drunk.

Kivela used his legislator status to avoid arrest, but was unsuccessful after blowing nearly 3 times the legal limit. Kivela, who was legally "super drunk,"  had no clue where he was or where he was coming from and said he was en route to work in Lansing!

Certainly using his office in this manner is a substantial violation of House rules. Speaker Cotter has not yet initiated expulsion hearings for Kivela.

Kivela also had a bottle of Seagram's Whiskey behind his seat that was nearly half gone...

According to Paul Egan of the Detroit Free Press:

The deputy spotted Kivela's vehicle and paced it at 80 miles per hour in a 70-mile-per-hour zone before seeing it almost rear end another vehicle while attempting to pass it, the report said.

Once stopped, Kivela smelled of alcohol, had bloodshot, watery eyes, had difficulty with coordination tests and was unable to stand on one leg, the report said.

"Mr. Kivela stated he was en route to Lansing as he is a state representative," Clarke said in the report.

He "stated he had two beers in Flint approximately three hours prior to my contact with him. Mr.

Kivela seemed confused as to where he was coming from or how he got there," but ultimately said he was on his way from Marquette to Lansing with a stop in Flint.

"I asked him if he knew he was all over the road. He stated he didn't."

In a roadside breath test, Kivela showed a blood alcohol content of .238. Later at the sheriff's office, Kivela gave readings of .19, .23 and .22.

"Mr. Kivela pled with me multiple times to let him go and stated he'd sit in the (expletive) weeds if I just let him go, and repeated multiple times 'please, please,' " the deputy said in the report."

Kivela is on record saying legislators who embarrass the House must go.

According to WKQS, Kivela was a strong supporter of removing Representatives Gamrat and Courser from office:

"State Representative John Kivela says the behavior of former Representatives Todd Courser and Cindy Gamrat has been an “international embarrassment” to the State House and he is glad they no longer in office.
Following a marathon session in Lansing, legislative leaders reached an agreement around 3:00 a.m. today to expel Courser, but he submitted a letter of resignation instead, avoiding a formal expulsion.

An hour later, Gamrat was expelled by a vote of 91-12 for misusing taxpayer resources to cover up an extramarital affair the two were having.

Kivela says he was anxious to expel both of the former lawmakers as soon as possible and is now ready for the House to put the matter behind them.

He added that those truly hurt in the scandal were the 180,000 constituents that were not being served, and the sooner special elections can be held get them effectively represented, the better."

___________________________________________________________________

Brandon Hall is a lifelong political nerd from Grand Haven, and is the Managing Editor of West Michigan Politics.

>>>Email him at WestMiPolitics@Gmail.com

Facebook
Twitter

Photo By Darlene Dowling Thompson