Officials reveal new details on TN Secretary of State arrest

TULLAHOMA, Tenn. (WSMV) - The Tennessee Secretary of State was arrested Friday night after driving under the influence.

According to an affidavit fromWSMV4, Secretary of State Tre Hargett was observed by police leaving Bar 315 in Coffee County around 11:30 p.m. Officers watched Hargett swerve on the road and come to a stop at a bar located at South Jackson Street. After leaving that bar, police pulled Hargett over, administered a sobriety test, and arrested him for a DUI.

WSMV4 also confirmed that Hargett was in his state-issued vehicle at the time of the arrest.

According to the affidavit, a passenger was in the car with Hargett at the time of the arrest and told the officer that he and Hargett had been drinking four hours earlier. The affidavit added that Hargett continued to say “yes sir” at inappropriate times when questioned by the officer.

According to booking records, Hargett was booked into the Coffee County Jail shortly after midnight Saturday and posted a $2,000 bail several hours later.

Hargett was elected by the Tennessee General Assembly to serve as secretary of state in 2009 and reelected in 2013, 2017, Friday night after, and 2021, according to the secretary of state’s website. Hargett is the chief executive officer of the Department of State with oversight of more than 300 employees.

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