FAA Chief Placed on Leave After Drunk Driving Arrest
- Posted on December 5, 2011 at 3:15pm by
Tiffany Gabbay
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WASHINGTON (The Blaze/AP) — FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt was placed on a leave of absence Monday and U.S. officials said his employment is under review following his arrest for drunken driving in suburban Northern Virginia.
Babbitt, 65, was charged with driving while intoxicated after a patrol officer spotted him driving on the wrong side of the street and pulled him over about 10:30 p.m. Saturday in Fairfax City, Va., police in the Washington, D.C., suburb.
Babbitt, who lives in nearby Reston, Va., was the only occupant in the vehicle, the statement said. Police said he cooperated and was released on his own recognizance.
The Federal Aviation Administration is part of the Department of Transportation. A statement released Monday by Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood‘s office said department officials didn’t learn of Babbitt’s arrest until Monday afternoon.
Babbitt “has requested, effective immediately, to take a leave of absence from the FAA,” the statement said. “That request has been granted and Deputy Administrator Michael Huerta will serve as acting administrator. DOT officials are in discussions with legal counsel about Administrator Babbitt’s employment status.”
Babbitt was a former airline captain and internationally recognized expert in aviation and labor relations when President Barack Obama tapped him in 2009 to head the FAA. He was a pilot for the now-defunct Eastern Airlines for 25 years, and had served as president of the Air Line Pilots Association. As head of ALPA in the late 1990s, he championed the “one level of safety” initiative implemented in 1995 to improve safety standards across the airline industry.
At FAA, Babbitt has struggled to implement a wide range of safety initiatives, often over the opposition of industry officials who say the measures would cost too much money.
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foxrocks
Posted on December 6, 2011 at 10:29pmThis guy will just walk away from his high paying govt job, get all his bennies and retire, at 65. He could care less, and he will walk, maybe get 72 hrs in jail, get it dropped and get community service as a bartender for Nancy Pelosi’s next party on the taxpayer dollar……….
Report Post »ProudTeaPartyMember
Posted on December 6, 2011 at 8:12amWhat’s the problem, he was driving not flying.
Report Post »pirate52
Posted on December 6, 2011 at 7:56amOne of the coroneys, he’ll walk, but you or I would get the book thrown at us
Report Post »dannylgriffin
Posted on December 6, 2011 at 1:58amWhat was his BAC? He was simply released?
Report Post »citizenoftexas
Posted on December 5, 2011 at 7:49pmI was going to leave a comment, but then I thought: “What would Snow Leopard think?”.
Maybe I should wait.
Report Post »RightThinking1
Posted on December 5, 2011 at 6:11pmOh. Oops…, when I first saw this : “President Barack Obama tapped him in 2009 to head the FAA.“ I thought it said ”President Obama tapped him in 2009 on the head.”
Report Post »TelepromoterNChief
Posted on December 5, 2011 at 6:04pmThe cops acted stupidly….uh….what was the uh…question?
Report Post »turkey13
Posted on December 5, 2011 at 7:02pmCall your Congress person ASAP. They can’t do this for two reasons – he was selected by obama and he is a government employee.
Report Post »turkey13
Posted on December 5, 2011 at 7:04pmActually three reasons – he wasn’t flying a plane.
Report Post »The Sergeant Major
Posted on December 5, 2011 at 6:02pmBe a strong leader; get help with your addiction, accept responsibility and resign from federal service.
Report Post »Bill Rowland
Posted on December 5, 2011 at 6:58pmasSergeant Major – The military was the leader in alcohol treatment and had the highest recovery rate of any program, I know because I went thru the program in late 1983 and I’m still sober. The military encouraged the use of alcohol for years – all parties had to have booze, you wet down your stripes when you got promoted. You could get people transferred, a man to replace him etc., all at the rocker club. The army wanted to save all that training an experience.
you musrt have come up in the late 80s after they started to discourage alcohol use.
MSG (R)
OMG
Report Post »nobull14
Posted on December 5, 2011 at 4:56pmGive the guy a chance .He taking a leave of absence from work ,a lot of people have problems with alcohol ,Hopefully he will get some help ? There is not one of us who has done something stupid once in are life!!!
Report Post »bhohater
Posted on December 5, 2011 at 6:33pmFrom the looks of your grammar you must have a drinking problem too.
Report Post »bhohater
Posted on December 5, 2011 at 6:45pmNo offense intended, but from the looks of your grammar Nobull14 you just might have a drinking problem too.
Report Post »SgtB
Posted on December 5, 2011 at 11:40pmHe was the head of a pilots’ union and he is currently the head of the FAA which is supposed to oversee the safety of every citizen of this nation and every other nation while they are in air transport to or from any US airport. He is also a part of the DOT which is responsible for the safety of drivers on every public road crossing this United States. How do we give a person with this job a pass on something like this while we jail men and women everyday for simple speeding infractions or parking tickets?
Report Post »PKama
Posted on December 5, 2011 at 4:42pmI want to make a bet. This guy will never spend a day in jail. Eric Holder will make sure of that. This is one of Bama’s boys.
Report Post »djmaine
Posted on December 5, 2011 at 4:17pmThe irony is so hilarious here.
Report Post »bikerr
Posted on December 5, 2011 at 5:57pmYes it is,—Defunct Airlines,alcohol ,Pilot,DWI,and President Obama appointed!,However dollars to donuts he doesn’t serve any time and is given a severance package if let go.
Report Post »RightPolitically
Posted on December 5, 2011 at 4:13pmBooze, along with drugs, is the Devil’s earthly agent of human destruction.
Report Post »RightPolitically
Posted on December 5, 2011 at 4:08pmTime to put those two “busted” pilots from a couple years ago (Delta?) back into the cockpit.
Report Post »gmoneytx
Posted on December 5, 2011 at 4:00pmOOpsy!
Report Post »RightPolitically
Posted on December 5, 2011 at 4:14pmCan’t top Oopsy!
Report Post »triumph4
Posted on December 5, 2011 at 3:58pmSend him to AA
Report Post »CaptainEmeritus
Posted on December 5, 2011 at 3:51pmMake us all proud, Randy
Report Post »Do the right thing.
Drop dead.
13th Imam
Posted on December 5, 2011 at 3:28pmYet Eric Holder can Murder Americans, and is a free man.
Report Post »RightPolitically
Posted on December 5, 2011 at 4:09pmInteresting comparison.
Report Post »Blackhawk1
Posted on December 5, 2011 at 3:25pmAt FAA, Babbitt has struggled to implement a wide range of safety initiatives
Just what we needed, a liberal drunk passing safety initiatives for the rest of us.
Report Post »pamela kay
Posted on December 5, 2011 at 3:35pmBut he will slide by BLACKHAWK1…………………….no surprise.
Report Post »TRONINTHEMORNING
Posted on December 5, 2011 at 3:25pmAre there words? Serious piece of work, this guy. Dump this drunk.
Report Post »Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Posted on December 5, 2011 at 4:00pmNot too different than hiring a pedophile as the head of the Dept. of Ed., or a Marxist as President of the free world. Up is down, top is bottom.
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