A top Democrat in Washington state, House Majority Leader Joe Fitzgibbon, has admitted he was drunk on the House floor while debating a major spending bill, after video emerged of him slurring his words in a rambling late-night tirade.
According to The Post Millennial, the powerful lawmaker issued a written apology to reporter Ari Hoffman after the footage circulated widely. I made a poor choice last night by drinking alcohol before we had finished our work for the day. I am disappointed in myself & take responsibility for that poor choice. It won't happen again, and I'm committed to completing my work this session without alcohol," he wrote, attempting to contain the fallout from his conduct.
The episode unfolded Wednesday evening as House Republicans offered amendments to Democrats plan to hike state spending by $2 billion despite consecutive budget deficits. Democrats intend to fund the expansion with a so?called millionaire's tax, a measure voters have rejected at least 10 times and that critics argue is unconstitutional.
When Fitzgibbon rose to speak in defense of the plan, he immediately began slurring and stuttering, repeatedly losing his train of thought in full view of the chamber and the public. He then falsely pinned responsibility for the multi?billion?dollar spending surge on Republican legislators and launched into what observers described as an unhinged monologue about raiding state police and firefighter pension funds, a deeply controversial idea pushed by Democrats.
The intoxicated rant reportedly dragged on for nearly five minutes, raising serious questions about judgment and professionalism in a legislature already under scrutiny for its aggressive tax-and-spend agenda. Fitzgibbon, who has represented West Seattle since 2010 and touts himself on his website as a leader on climate, housing, and transportation, now faces uncertainty over whether he will face any formal discipline.
For many taxpayers, the spectacle reinforces long?standing concerns about one?party rule in Olympia, where Democrat leaders push higher taxes and risky fiscal schemes while failing to meet basic standards of accountability. Washington House Democrats did not respond to a request for comment from The Post Millennial, leaving voters to wonder whether the party will treat this as a serious breach of public trust or simply circle the wagons around one of its own.
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