Major Questions Loom over Democrat Leader Appearing Drunk at Hearing

On Wednesday, February 25 at 5:30 PM, Rep Joe Fitzgibbon, Democrat House Leader, appeared drunk at the House Appropriations Committee hearing. Rep. Fitzgibbon, who normally wears a jacket and tie, appeared disheveled in an open-collared white dress shirt. At times, he appeared to doze off and Representative Larry Springer, who sat next to Fitzgibbon, can often be seen curiously glancing over at his obviously impaired seatmate.

At one point during the 4+ hour hearing, Fitzgibbon spoke on how he was giving voice to the voiceless. (He was not specific about which of the well-funded special interest groups which fund his campaigns he believes is “voiceless.”)  His remarks were slurred.

Word of Fitzgibbons’ drunken condition soon spread through the legislative community as staffers, lobbyists, and media members quickly clicked on TVW to watch.

The next morning, Fitzgibbon had to issue an apology. He admitted he had drinks before the hearing, and he promised he would never do this again.

Yet this doesn’t answer important questions.  Did Fitzgibbon get drunk in his taxpayer-funded office, or did this happen off-campus?  Did he drive impaired? Who did he get drunk with?  Other legislators? Other members of the Appropriations Committee who also attended this important hearing?  Special interest group lobbyists? Staffers?  Did they drive impaired?

Fitzgibbon will likely go into relative hiding (will he appear at the next Democrat leaders’ media availability?) hoping the sympathetic media conveniently forgets this irresponsible and reckless action.

We should note, Representative Fitzgibbon as the House Democrat Leader, Member of both the House Rules Committee and House Appropriations Committee, is one of the Democrats most powerful members.  He is a leading advocate of imposing a state income source as progressives attempt to open a yet another new revenue source to fund their massive expansion of wasteful and ineffective state government which financially benefits Fitzgibbon’s campaign donors.