South Carolina Republican arrested and ticketed after being found drunk in a parked car

On Monday, The Daily Beast reported that a Republican state lawmaker in South Carolina, Sen. Tom Davis, was arrested and ticketed after he was discovered intoxicated in a parked car on New Year's Day.

"The Republican said in a statement that he got in a car after a night of drinking, realized he 'should not be driving,' found a parking lot, and sat there for an hour," said the report.

According to The State, after he settled in at the parking lot, a Lexington police officer approached him, and issued the ticket. Davis was not charged with driving under the influence.

"Davis has referred all questions to his attorneys, Strom Law Firm’s Pete Strom and Alexandra Benevento," said the report. "Strom told The State Monday Davis was arrested and appeared before a magistrate, then released on a $1,000 personal recognizance bond on the condition that he appear for future court proceedings."

IN OTHER NEWS: New House GOP plan could 'effectively gut' Office of Congressional Ethics

Davis reportedly told The State that he is “ashamed and embarrassed” of his actions, and added, "I look forward to the opportunity to prove to my family and my constituents that I have learned from this mistake."

While Davis managed to avoid a more serious charge, state lawmakers have frequently been busted on driving under the influence around the country. In 2021, Kansas Republican state Sen. Gene Suellentrop hurled abuse at a police officer who pulled him over for drunk driving, calling him "Donut Boy."