Former Nevada GOP chair asked Florida police officer if her judge friend could get rid of DUI charge: report
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Nevada's former Republican Party chairwoman, Amy Tarkanian, was arrested in Florida for DUI after failing field sobriety tests, including having a blood-alcohol level of .268, according to her arrest report.
Tarkanian, 48, was taken into custody following a crash on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, in the parking lot of an apartment complex in Bradenton, which is about 45 miles south of Tampa.
A worker at the apartment complex said he received some complaints about an SUV in the middle of a road with a woman slumped over the wheel. The worker told the Florida Highway Patrol that he attempted to wake her, documents said.
'When he woke her, she looked at him, took her foot off the brake, then accelerated forwards into a parked, unoccupied vehicle,' the report stated. The worker said he called the police because he could smell a 'strong odor of alcohol' coming from Tarkanian.
Police documents said an empty box of White Claw seltzers was found in the SUV, and Tarkanian was transported to the hospital due to being 'highly intoxicated, not injured.'
The officer who arrived at the hospital to talk with Tarkanian also reported that she smelled of alcohol and had watery, bloodshot eyes.
Tarkanian told the officer she was taking anti-alcohol medication due to addiction and that she had consumed four White Claws around 11 a.m.
Documents said that when discussing the DUI with the officer, Tarkanian asked if her friend, a judge, 'Can get rid of that?'
Court records show Tarkanian had a previous DUI conviction in Las Vegas in 2008 and completed the court's requirement to take part in DUI school and a victim impact panel.
Jail records show that Tarkanian was released from the Manatee County Jail on April 5.
Tarkanian is married to Danny Tarkanian, the son of the late Jerry Tarkanian, a UNLV Runnin' Rebels coach who took the basketball team to the NCAA championship in 1990.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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