A Minnesota state senator has been arrested on suspicion of DWI. It's the second incident involving the lawmaker since 2022.
Tou Xiong, a Democrat from Maplewood, was booked at the Ramsey County Jail around 4 a.m. Thursday, according to jail booking records. He was released a few hours after.
Xiong pleaded guilty to DWI in 2022, when he was a member of the Minnesota House. He became a state senator in 2023.
In a statement, Xiong said he was driving home from a family gathering when he was pulled over.
“I take full responsibility for my actions and sincerely apologize to my constituents and the people I've let down,” he said in a statement. “I want to thank law enforcement for doing their job to keep the roads safe. Today, I have begun the work of talking to my family and to my Senate colleagues about the situation.”
According to court documents from his 2022 DWI, Xiong was convicted of DWI in Anoka County. He was pulled over by Blaine Police on Jan. 8 2022. He was given a year of probation and a $288 fine.
He had not been officially charged as of Thursday afternoon.