Exclusive: State representative hopes to rebuild voters’ trust following drunk driving arrest

Comey flipped her car and had a blood alcohol level nearly twice the legal limit back in March.

News 12 Staff

Jul 12, 2023, 9:30 PM

Updated 432 days ago

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A state representative who was arrested on drunk driving is trying to get others help for addiction and working to rebuild trust with constituents.
State Rep. Robin Comey, of Branford, says she hasn’t had a drink for 117 days and is taking steps toward a life of sobriety.
Comey flipped her car and had a blood alcohol level nearly twice the legal limit back in March.
The crash and arrest, which happened after leaving a restaurant near the State Capitol, were all caught on video.
When asked if she’s ever watched the video of her crash, she says she’s never seen it and doesn’t plan to.
The day changed her life, and she now must breathe into a Breathalyzer before she can move her car an inch.
For now, Comey says she’s just taking things a day at a time. She admits now that she was trying to manage her drinking and even trying to fool some people.
“In my case, I don't think many people were aware that I was an alcoholic, and that was thinking about drinking on a daily basis,” says Comey.
Comey says this was a pivotal moment. She says she was “out of control” and needing professional help, both for alcoholism and anxiety.
“Alcohol specifically can really lie to you, an addiction lies to you, and it tells you that you are OK, and that you're feeling OK, and this is how you're supposed to fell. And it numbs the feeling or the anxiety,” she says.
Comey says her mother was an alcoholic. She says that admitting to the drunk driving charge with no political spin or denials, as the mother, was the only option.
“The lesson I wanted to leave with [is] that everyone can be imperfect,” says Comey.
The Branford Democrat says she checked herself into a rehab facility and stayed there for 39 days. She now meets with sober coaches twice a week.
Comey showed News 12’s Jeff Derderian her Alcoholics Anonymous medals, marking how long she’s been sober. She says they’re not a badge of courage, but rather a commitment to staying sober.
The crash wasn’t the only time that Comey raised eyebrows. She admitted she had been drinking that day in June 2021 when she lost her place talking on the House floor.
“It’s not how much I drank, they explained to me, it's what happens when I drink, and continuing to make those poor decisions,” she says.
When asked if voters should continue to trust her, Comey said yes because she’s “in a better place and can actually do a better job now.”
If Comey follows all conditions of the drunk driving first offender program, her record will be wiped clean in 2024.
When asked if she’ll be running for reelection next year, Comey says that’s not her focus right now.