Rep. Trey Radel (R-FL) on Wednesday apologized to House Republicans at a conference meeting on Capitol Hill after he plead guilty to cocaine possession and spent time in a rehabilitation facility.
“I’m thankful I had that opportunity, but I have a whole lot to do to make amends,” Radel told the Washington Post. “It felt good to talk with them. It felt good, it really did. I know there’s still a long way to go with my country and constituents, and especially with my family, but it felt good.”
Radel asked for his colleagues’ forgiveness at the meeting, and then spoke with friends afterward. The Florida congressman was teary-eyed while thanking his fellow representatives, according to the Post.
Multiple Republicans told the Post that Radel’s apology and pledge to work harder was mostly met with sympathy.
“It was the Trey Radel apology tour,” one House Republican told the Post. “We’ve all dealt with friends or families who have struggled with addiction, so we listened and offered encouragement.”
Radel returned to the Capitol at the beginning of the month when Congress returned for the new year, and he is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee. He has not yet announced whether he will seek re-election in 2014, but he already has a primary challenger.
