REVEALED: Trump ally hailed as an anti-drunk driving 'hero' admits he was 'arrested for DWI' years ago

By VICTORIA CHURCHILL, US POLITICAL REPORTER Published: 02:21, 16 July 2026 | Updated: 02:26, 16 July 2026 Congressman Mike Lawler, a top Trump ally who is locked in a critical reelection race in New York, has revealed that he was 'arrested for DWI' in his younger days. Lawler, 39, disclosed the 2012 incident for the very first time on Wednesday in an interview with local New York news outlet News12. He said that when he was 25 years old, he 'went down to [New York] city, and proceeded to drink, and ultimately, you know, made a decision to drive home.'  He then failed a breathalyzer test before being arrested by local police.  Lawler also added in the segment that it was 'certainly not' his 'proudest moment', noting that he was deeply disappointed in himself for making that decision, and for letting down his father, a former recovering alcoholic who was sober for nearly 20 years.  He also said that the incident came after he learned his father's cancer had spread to his brain.  He went further in a Facebook post explaining one of the 'worst' decisions of his life, saying he 'got behind the wheel after drinking and was arrested for DWI [Drinking While Intoxicated].' 'I ended up getting in my car, and I drove home, from New York City to Rockland County. I was on the Palisades Parkway, I was driving impaired. I was pulled over by police and arrested,' Lawler shared with a group of high schoolers in a video that he posted to Facebook on Wednesday.  Congressman Mike Lawler, a New York Republican, speaks as he attends a town hall meeting in Mahopac, New York, on June 8, 2025 Lawler noted in 2024 that he was proud to be a 'legislative hero' of the anti-drunk driving advocacy group Mothers Against Drunk Driving The irony is that since coming to Congress, Lawler has been a vocal advocate for ending drunk driving. In July of 2024, Lawler was given the 'Legislative Hero Award' by Mothers Against Drunk Driving. The Daily Mail reached out to MADD for comment and did not immediately receive a response. 'Nothing is more important than the safety of our residents, and that will continue to be my highest priority,' Lawler noted in an X post that shows him posing with the award. Lawler is currently a father to two young daughters. Lawler and his family at the White House Easter celebration earlier this year This past January, Lawler championed the issue again, cosponsoring the Drunk Driving Prevention and Enforcement Act alongside Democrats Debbie Dingell and Laura Gillen. The bill would take 'significant steps to prevent impaired driving and save lives' with technology and law enforcement resources.  The Daily Mail approached Gillen's office for comment on whether or not she was aware of Lawler's transgression, and if they ever came up for discussion during their work on the bill, and did not receive an immediate response. In 2025, Lawler and Dingell sent a joint letter to the Secretary of Transportation urging the 'swift implementation' of the HALT Drunk Driving Law, which 'requires new motor vehicles to be equipped with advanced anti-drunk driving technology that prevents a car from operating if the driver is illegally impaired.' When asked for comment by the Daily Mail, Lawler sent a link to a video of his speech to a local high school on Wednesday, where he went into the story in more detail. In that video, he notes 'throughout my time in the state assembly, and now in Congress, I have worked alongside organizations like Mothers Against Drunk Driving and local advocates to promote roadway safety.' Lawler has also in the past championed deporting illegal immigrants who commit DUI's, stating in an interview during his 2024 re-election campaign that one migrant who was charged with murder should have been 'handed order to ICE' after 'his arrest for drunk driving in Yonkers in 2018.' At the time, Lawler also called out his opponent, Mondaire Jones, for wanting to 'prevent the deportation of anyone arrested for DWI [Driving While Intoxicated]. In 2026, Lawler is running against Democratic challenger Cait Conley, an army veteran, who bested a field of primary opponents in a bitter fight last month. Trump campaigned with Lawler in May, when he praised Lawler's bipartisan efforts, while Lawler voiced pride in his working relationship with the President. The two also spent time boasting about last year's GOP tax bill that expanded the state and local tax (SALT) deduction to $40,000, a move Lawler championed. Per the Cook Political Report, Lawler's seat is rated as a 'toss-up.' He won his last race in 2024 with 52.1 percent of the vote.