The Butler County Republican Party is asking State Representative Wes Retherford to resign after he was arrested over the weekend on driving under the influence and weapons charges.
The party cites Retherford's past history of traffic violations. He has been cited across the state and has been involved in more than five traffic accidents since 2000, when he got his driver's license. Meanwhile, Weatherford and the Ohio House Speaker have issued statements about the matter. Ohio Public Radio's Karen Kasler reports.
Retherford said in a statement he’ll miss committee hearings and sessions for the rest of the week, after allegedly passing out drunk in his running car in a drive thru very early Sunday morning. Speaker Cliff Rosenberger of Clarksville didn’t have much to say other than he’ll let the process play out and he’s thinking of Retherford and his family.
“It’s not conduct becoming of a member of the Ohio House – I think he knows that. People make mistakes.”
A liquor cabinet in Retherford’s office against Statehouse rules came up in last year’s rel-ection campaign – he said he’d bought it from a former lawmaker, it was only there temporarily and he had it removed. Retherford is also facing a charge of improperly storing the loaded gun he had in the car.
