Thursday, 10 May 2012

Charges dismissed against former FAA chief


A US judge on Thursday dismissed charges of driving under the influence against former FAA administrator Randy Babbitt. Babbitt resigned last year after the charges became public.
The Washington Post reported that the trial in a Virginia court ended soon after it began when the presiding judge saw video of Babbitt driving during the alleged incident and said the police officer had no proper cause to apprehend Babbitt. Babbitt’s lawyer also said that the initial breath test gave an alcohol reading that was below Virginia’s legal limit.
Babbitt’s FAA tenure was planned to extend to May 2014. In March, US President Barack Obama nominated acting administrator Michael Huerta to become the agency's full-time head for a five-year term.
“I am thrilled the charges against me have been dismissed at trial and I have been found not guilty,” Babbitt said in a statement.
“As I said in December, I resigned from the FAA because I was unwilling to let anything cast a shadow on the outstanding work being done every day by the men and women who work there.  I am extremely grateful for the colleagues and friends who have expressed their support for me over the past few months. Over my career I have worked on some of the most important issues facing the aviation industry, and now that this matter has been resolved, I look forward to returning to that work.”
Article Source : ATW Daily News

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