Brody's Notes... Anti-Gay Maryland Lawmaker Who Crashes Boat Admits He Was Operating It While Impaired

Maryland  GOP Delegate Don Dwyer 

By Fola Akinnibi | BALTIMORE, MD -- Republican Maryland Delegate Donald Dwyer, who has been a vehement opponent of same-sex marriage and LGBT equality rights in the state, admitted to being under the influence of alcohol when he crashed his boat into a boat full of small children.
Earlier this year during the debate on the same-sex marriage bill, Dwyer told fellow lawmakers that the legalization of nuptials for gays and lesbians in Massachusetts in 2004 indoctrinated the state’s public school students on homosexuality. He has also introduced several measures that would have amended the state constitution to define marriage as solely between a man and a woman.
In March, he also made headlines by calling for Maryland’s Attorney General, Doug Gansler, to be impeached. Dwyer said Gansler violated his oath by allowing same-sex marriages from other states to be recognized in Maryland.

Dwyer’s boat collided with another boat on the Magothy River on Wednesday around 7 p.m. The second boat was carrying four adults and five children — seven of the boat’s passengers were transported to area hospitals. Sgt. Brian Albert, a spokesman for the Department of Natural Resources Police, said investigators suspected alcohol was a factor in the accident. He said Dwyer had one passenger, identified as John Edward Moran IV. Dwyer has not yet been charged with a crime as of Thursday evening. 

A five-year-old girl was the most seriously injured; she was airlifted to Johns Hopkins Children’s Center in Baltimore via MedEvac helicopter. Authorities said her injuries are not life threatening. Dwyer himself was also injured and he was transported to the Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore.

At the news conference outside Thursday, Dwyer expressed regret for his actions. In a statement he revealed his blood alcohol content was 0.2 — more than twice the legal limit for operating a motor vehicle.

“It is true that I was drinking while operating my boat,” he said. "I deeply regret my actions, and I ask for forgiveness from the public. My heart and prayers go out to the family that was involved in the accident, and I pray for them to have a speedy recovery.”

Dwyer sat in a wheelchair with a neck brace on and a cast around his left foot during the conference. He spoke from prepared statements and answered no questions from the press corps before being wheeled back into the hospital by a nurse.
Dwyer could face several criminal charges if police blood tests confirm his blood alcohol content was 0.2. Police officials acknowledged that those tests can take up to a month to process. Maryland law stipulates that a legislator convicted of a felony crime or a crime of "moral turpitude" must relinquish his or her seat.

In a statement  issued this afternoon Maryland State House GOP leadership said they are "troubled" by Dwyer's behavior.

"While we appreciate Delegate Dwyer’s frankness in his statements, we are troubled by these circumstances. We will refrain from any further comments on this ongoing investigation and allow the Department of Natural Resources officers to do their job as the legal process moves forward.”