Republican Rep. Michael McCaul, the chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said he was detained by police at an airport near Washington, DC, earlier this month.
McCaul said he became “disoriented” at Dulles International Airport after taking medication and drinking alcohol before his scheduled flight back home to Texas.
“Two weekends ago I made a mistake, a mistake for which I take full responsibility. I missed a flight to Texas and became disoriented at the airport. This was the result of a bad decision I made to mix an Ambien – which I took to sleep on the upcoming flight – with some alcohol,” McCaul said in a statement.
“Law enforcement officers briefly detained me while I waited for a family member to pick me up. I have nothing but respect and gratitude for the officers who intercepted me that evening. This incident does not reflect who I am and who I strive to be. As a human being I am not perfect. But I am determined to learn from this mistake and, God willing, make myself a better person.”
McCaul was re-elected this month to an 11th term in his district that stretches from Austin to suburban Houston.
A message left at Dulles International Airport was not immediately returned later Wednesday.
