Court jails US Speaker, Nancy Pelosi’s husband for drunk driving charge

US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi‘s husband has been sentenced to five days in jail after pleading guilty to drink driving.

Paul Pelosi, 82, admitted driving under the influence of alcohol and causing injury after crashing his Porsche in Napa County, California, in May 2022.

The plea deal spares the multimillionaire a more serious charge.

Pelosi has been married to Nancy, the most senior Democrat in the US Congress, since 1963.

He will not serve any further jail time under the plea agreement.

The night he spent in jail after the crash on 28 May will count for two days. Two more days were taken off for good behaviour, and the final day will be served by doing eight hours of community service.

Read Also: N270m Fraud: Court jails fake Army General for seven years

Pelosi, founder of a venture capital firm, is also being placed on a three-year probation, is required to attend a three-month course on drink driving and must pay around $7,000 (£5,900) in restitution.

He will not lose his driving licence, but will be required to use an ignition device on his car that requires a breath sample alcohol test before the engine can start.

Pelosi was not in court for Tuesday’s sentence hearing.

The crash occurred at night-time in Oakville, California, as he left the home of a long-time friend and Democratic donor.

According to a police report, he crashed his black 2021 Porsche into another driver’s Jeep near his home. Both vehicles were reportedly destroyed.

Pelosi offered responding officers at the scene a card showing that he is a member of a charity that supports California Highway Patrol officers, according to a police complaint.

Mrs Pelosi was on the other side of the country at the time, in Rhode Island, delivering a graduation speech at Brown University.

Her office has declined to offer any more comment than saying it is a “private matter”.