Hague apologizes for behavior during arrest

King County Councilmember Jane Hague apologized this afternoon to her constituents, fellow council members and law-enforcement officers for her conduct the night she was arrested for drunken driving.

Hague, speaking to reporters for the first time since her June 2 arrest, said she has sent notes of apology to two state troopers and the King County Sheriff's deputy involved in her arrest on Highway 520, east of Lake Washington.

The arresting officers "did not deserve the rude and abusive behavior. I was very angry that night," said Hague. "I was angry at myself, I was angry at the situation and I took it out on them. There is no excuse for that."

Hague has pleaded not guilty. A breath test administered by a state trooper the night of her arrest measured her blood-alcohol content at 0.135 percent and 0.141 percent, above the state 0.08 percent limit.

A Bellevue Republican and a political power on the Eastside since being elected to the County Council in 1993, Hague is up for re-election Nov. 6. The Democratic nominee is Richard Pope, a Bellevue attorney who has run unsuccessfully for various public offices 10 times.

During the interview, Hague also said she has apologized to other councilmembers, and asked "for their forgiveness and support."

She said she had drunk "a couple glasses" of wine at a charity auction and thought she was capable of driving safely. About a week after her arrest, she said, she underwent an evaluation by an alcohol-treatment facility. After several hours of evaluation, she said, "fortunately, there was no problem that was uncovered."

However, she said, she has made a commitment never to drink and drive again.

Keith Ervin: 206-464-2105 or kervin@seattletimes.com