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L.A.'s Top Budget Official Arrested for DUI While in City-Owned Car
What was at first a traffic stop for speeding on a surface street ended up being a DUI arrest when 40-year-old Miguel Santana early this morning failed a field sobriety test, according to the LA Times. Santana, the top budget advisor for the city of Los Angeles, was on his way home from the an annual political roast, which is a charity event for the American Diabetes Association. This year's "roastee" was L.A. County District Attorney Steve Cooley.
Santana, who is paid around $220,000, was driving his city-owned car when he was arrested. "I regret to say that last night I was involved in a very serious and irresponsible incident," he said in a written statement that was released by the mayor’s office. “It was a mistake that I deeply regret and I apologize to my family and friends, my staff, the Mayor, the City Council and the entire city family for this indiscretion."
The city's $212-million budget deficit and thousands of layoffs along with overseeing the city's $7 billion budget are Santana's main responsibilities right now.
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