NEW YORK STATE (WROC) — Assemblyman Brian Kolb (R-131) issued a statement Friday saying he was stepping down as the Minority Leader of the New York State Assembly.

He is stepping down from his leadership position, but not as a member of the Assembly.

On New Year’s Eve, Kolb was accused of driving drunk. This comes after he released a statement in early December urging people to drive sober.

New York State’s Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb (R-131), was arrested and taken into custody on Tuesday, New Year’s Eve, for driving while intoxicated.

The Ontario County Sheriff’s Office says a deputy found Kolb inside his state-issued car in a ditch near his home around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday night. Kolb was taken into custody and charged with unsafe turn and driving while intoxicated.

In a statement on Friday, Kolb said:

“As Leader of the Assembly Minority Conference, I have always tried to put the needs and best interests of our Conference ahead of my own. That is why I have decided to step down as Minority Leader.
 
I have a profound respect for each and every one of my colleagues, and sincerely admire their daily efforts on behalf of constituents and communities in every corner of the state. But I will not allow my own personal challenges to distract from the goals, message, and mission of the Assembly Minority Conference. With a new year and new legislative session ahead, the work of our Conference cannot be undermined or deterred in any way. 
 
I will be forever grateful for the confidence my colleagues have placed in me for the past 10 years. But in my heart, I know that this is the right time for a new leader to step in and advance an agenda that benefits all New Yorkers.
 
The events of December 31 are ones I will always deeply regret. On a personal level, I have begun the process of seeking professional help in order to heal, learn, and fully address the challenges that I, along with my family, currently face.” 

A special prosecutor has been appointed to oversee the DWI case of New York State’s Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb (R-131).

Yates County District Attorney Todd Casella is the new prosecutor for the case.

“The next step will be the appearance in court,” Ontario County District Attorney Jim Ritts said Thursday. “An appearance ticket was issues consistent with the new law as well as the policy of the sheriff’s department and he’ll appear in the next two or three weeks and be arraigned with his attorney and the process will start at that point.”