A candidate for Portland mayor is under fire after it was revealed her driver’s license was revoked six times due to a series of traffic violations and missed court appearances.
Carmen Rubio was forced to further defend her terrible driving after it emerged she recently hit a parked Tesla and drove away without leaving a note.
The incident is part of a long series of traffic violations over the past 20 years, including 150 fines and tickets. Oregon Live defeated.
The progressive candidate has also had to deal with unpaid fines from collection agencies at least a hundred times.
Her criminal record came to light amid outrage over an incident in a Portland parking lot last week in which Rubio damaged a 2022 Tesla before assessing the damage and walking away.
Portland mayoral candidate Carmen Rubio has come under fire after it emerged that her driver’s license has been suspended six times due to a series of traffic violations and missed court appearances.
Surveillance footage from the Tesla, obtained by Oregon Live, shows Rubio’s 2017 Nissan Murano pulling up alongside the other vehicle.
According to the owners, Rubio damaged their car, damaging the bumper and rim.
The clip shows the mayoral candidate getting out of her car after parking, then glancing at the Tesla before continuing on her way.
She told the newspaper that after examining the car, she did not believe she had caused any damage.
“I felt my car kind of bump or lift. Concerned, I checked the car next to it, a Tesla, for damage. When I didn’t see anything, I went to my appointment,” Rubio said.
But in a recorded conversation with the Tesla’s owners, Rubio blamed her actions on election-related stress.
“I can’t tell you how humiliated I am and I’m truly sorry,” she said. “I feel so ashamed that during one of the worst weeks of my career I was so careless that I got upset and didn’t pay as much attention as I should have. Trust me, I feel worthless right now.
She was forced to defend her dubious record after it emerged she recently hit a parked Tesla and walked away without leaving a note
“I would rather retire from my race, to be honest. Trust me, I won’t be driving in the near future.”
Initially she offered to pay the costs out of her own pocket, but decided that ‘as a public figure’ it was better to do so through official channels.
In a statement Wednesday, Rubio said she was concerned about being “exploited because of the public nature” of her role.
She has since publicly apologized, saying she is “human” and “makes mistakes too.”
Her behavior prompted a local green transportation lobby group to withdraw its support.
The Street Trust Action Fund initially supported Rubio when her driving record became public.
But after the Tesla incident, the group wrote on Instagram that it had decided to withdraw its support because Rubio’s actions were “contrary” to its values.
The incident is part of a long series of traffic violations over the past 20 years, including 150 fines and tickets
In a video posted to her campaign page, Rubio again acknowledged that she had made mistakes.
“There are two things I live by: taking responsibility and working very hard for our community,” Rubio said.
While other mayoral candidates have also had multiple traffic violations, Rubio’s ticket count is far higher than anyone else’s, Oregon Live reported.