On February 7, 2023 at about 12:45 AM, Texas Sen. Charles Schwertner of District 5 (R-Georgetown) was arrested in Austin for a DWI.
At the time of his arrest, the identity of the woman seated in the front passenger seat was unclear, and the arresting officer initially identified her as the Senator’s wife.
The officer reportedly scolded her multiple times, ordering her to “step back” and stop interrupting the investigation.
Moments after Schwertner refused a breathalyzer test, the officer began referring to the woman as the Senator’s “colleague.”
The police handcuffed the Senator and took him to jail.
The charge against Schwertner was dropped in July, allegedly for lack of evidence, and the identity of the woman next to him was never publicly confirmed.
But two days ago Patrick Svitek of the The Texas Tribune published his analysis of newly released body camera footage showing that it was Texas Rep. Claudia Ordaz of District 79 (D-El Paso) in the front passenger seat with the intoxicated Senator.
Ordaz issued a statement: “I had no involvement in this matter other than being a passenger at the time of this incident and was fully cooperative with authorities at all times. I regret this incident occurred, and in the future, I will use more caution to prevent this type of unfortunate circumstance.”
We learn that Schwertner told the arresting officer he had picked up Ordaz at the airport and dined with her at Whataburger.
Ordaz added that they were parked at her place, which Schwertner confirmed.
The Texas Tribune shared the Austin Police Department video of the incident, showing both Schwertner and Ordaz speaking with the arresting officer. See also today’s report in El Paso News by Martin Paredes, who was the first in our local media to confirm Ordaz’s involvement in the incident.
We have some friendly advice for Claudia Ordaz.
Stay away from Whataburger and creepy men!
Her last scandal involving the police was an altercation with her then-husband Vince Perez in a Whataburger parking lot in 2015.