New Jersey congressional candidate Ian Smith called on police to release the bodycam footage of his arrest on Sunday morning, when he was charged with driving under the influence.
Smith’s campaign argues that the candidate, who made headlines in 2020 for violating COVID-19 mandates by keeping his gym open, swerved while driving because of high winds and passed a sobriety test after he was pulled over. When an officer asked him to take a Breathalyzer test, Smith refused, a decision the campaign claims was based on him being afraid of a setup.
“While it is true Ian refused the breathalyzer, it is understandable,” said Steve Kush, Smith’s campaign consultant, in a statement. “Ian has a distrust of government in New Jersey after being persecuted by the Governor and government agencies for two years. He’s certainly not the first public figure not to trust a breathalyzer.”
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Smith had previously been arrested in July 2020 on charges of fourth-degree contempt and obstruction and violation of a disaster control act after refusing to close his gym amid state lockdown orders. He has since been a vocal critic of Gov. Phil Murphy’s COVID-19 policies, leading him to initiate his own congressional bid in 2021.
Smith pleaded guilty to second-degree vehicular manslaughter after crashing into 19-year-old Kevin Ade’s car in 2007. Ade died at the scene, and Smith was sentenced to five years in prison.
“It’s something that I fully accept responsibility for, and for anybody out there who hates me, I think you are completely justified in doing so,” Smith said at the time.
For his arrest on Sunday, Smith is expected to appear in court on April 14. In the meantime, Kush argues local police should release the bodycam footage to show Smith passed the field sobriety test, arguing he “will be vindicated.”
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“Being charged with an offense and actually committing an offense are two entirely different things. Ian Smith was not driving drunk. Ian Smith is innocent,” Kush said. “The cufflinks and the cologne faction of the Republican Party don’t want him and have gone so far as to warn fellow Republicans to stay away from Ian until after the primaries.”
Smith is challenging incumbent Democratic Rep. Andy Kim, who was elected in 2018.
The Washington Examiner reached out to the Cinnaminson Township Police Department for comment.
