Florida Rep. Radel Ends Month Long Hiatus From Twitter
NAPLES (CBSMiami/NSF) - A South Florida congressman caught trying to buy cocaine in an undercover sting operation ended his month long, self imposed, hiatus from social media.
On Christmas, Rep. Trey Radel posted a thank you to his supporters on Twitter.
"Merry Christmas! Thank you for your prayers and support," Radel tweeted around noon on Wednesday.
The message was the freshman Republican's first on the social network since he was arrested 39 days ago for allegedly purchasing $250 of cocaine during an undercover sting.
Prior to his arrest, Radel was known for his frequent tweets. His Twitter account profile identifies him as a "Hip Hop Conservative. Lover of #liberty. Sometimes I tweet policy. Sometimes I don't. #swfl #fl19." He also earned a following for his tongue-in-cheek "reviews" of the SkyMall catalogue under the hashtag #treyonplane.
Radel used Twitter to apologize prior to entering a guilty plea to cocaine possession on Nov. 19 and entering a 30-day rehab stay.
"I'm profoundly sorry to let down my family, particularly my wife and son, and the people of Southwest Florida," Radel tweeted.
All of the state's top GOP leaders --- including Gov. Rick Scott, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Republican Party of Florida Chairman Lenny Curry and party leaders in Lee and Collier counties --- have demanded that Radel step down from the District 19 seat. But after his release from rehab on Dec. 19, Radel told reporters that he doesn't intend to resign.
Radel has declined to comment about his plans to seek re-election. The House Ethics Committee has announced that a subcommittee would investigate Radel.
The News Service of Florida contributed to this report
