Minnesota DFL lawmaker arrested on suspicion of DWI

A DFL lawmaker who represents St. Cloud was arrested by the State Patrol on Friday evening on suspicion of driving while intoxicated.

Rep. Dan Wolgamott was pulled over by the State Patrol after a trooper observed that his vehicle was weaving, had no front license plate and had expired registration, according to the incident report.

Wolgamott, 32, is in his third term in the Legislature and serves as speaker pro tempore, a role that sees him preside over the House floor when DFL House Speaker Melissa Hortman is absent. Just last month, Wolgamott was named legislator of the year by the Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association.

Wolgamott did not respond to a request for comment.

The trooper was out looking for an SUV that matched Wolgamott's vehicle after receiving a complaint about an individual who was drinking in a liquor store parking lot, the incident report states.

After pulling Wolgamott over near Hwy. 23 and milepost 261, the trooper observed "signs of alcohol impairment," according to the report. The trooper arrested Wolgamott and took a fluid sample.

Wolgamott was then booked into the Kanabec County Jail on suspicion of fourth-degree DWI. The incident remains under investigation.

Two years ago, Wolgamott was cited by Golden Valley police for abandoning his vehicle after it crashed into a yard, according to the Police Department's incident report.

The Golden Valley officer who filed the report in January 2021 wrote that he "checked the area for the male, but did not locate anyone." Wolgamott's vehicle was damaged on the front passenger side after striking the curb, the officer wrote, noting the crash happened in the "icy intersection" of Westwood Drive N. and Beverly Avenue.

The officer was unable to search the car because all of its doors were locked, the report states. He wrote that he mailed Wolgamott a citation for a "violation of the abandoned vehicle statute," which is a misdemeanor.

Another state representative, Republican Matt Grossell of Clearbrook, was cited in February for drunken driving. Grossell recently agreed to plead guilty to the fourth-degree charge.