(Allegedly) Drunken State Rep. Andria Bennett (Allegedly) Attacks (Proven) Drunk Husband/Ex-State Rep. Brad Bennett. Coverup Ensues.
Somewhere, ex-State Senator Brian Bushweller (whose daughter was married to Brad Bennett until Andria Viola came along) is basking in the schadenfreude.
In all its glory, from TV Delmarva:
BREAKING NEWS: Delaware State Representative Andria Bennett of the 32nd District has been arrested for 3rd Degree Assault.
TV Delmarva’s Rob Petree was able to confirm that around 2 a.m. Sunday, December 13th, Delaware State Police were called to the home of State Rep. Andria Bennett in Dover for reports of a domestic dispute.
According to the arrest warrant, when police arrived they noticed her husband, former State Rep. Brad Bennett, was noticeably injured with blood running down the left side of his face.
The report goes onto say that the two had been drinking at a holiday party when she left her husband there and walked home. When he got home, the warrant says an argument ensued that turned physical when Rep. Bennett reportedly grabbed her husband around his neck and said she ‘wanted a divorce.’
Rep. Bennett then reportedly escalated the attack when police say she grabbed him on one side of his face while she struck him on the other causing ‘substantial pain.’
According to court documents, the husband never fought back during the altercation.
When police interviewed Rep. Bennett, the report stated that she denied any type of physical altercation. She was then arrested and charged with 3rd Degree Assault and later released on her own recognizance.
We have reached out to Rep. Bennett who has yet to respond to a request for comment.
This comes years after Rep. Bennett ran and won the seat that her husband had to vacate following a DUI conviction where he served time in jail.
Rep. Bennett is scheduled for a hearing on Monday, December 28th in Kent County Family Court.
The incident happened over a week ago now. We just found out about it yesterday. Are the cops this solicitous of other alleged miscreants?
But, I digress. While most of you may know the backstory, I know we have a lot of newcomers. So. Andria Bennett was, in fact, Andria Viola, who parlayed her father’s influence into a job as a legislative aide in Dover. She and Brad Bennett, perhaps attracted by their mutual drinking proclivities, became an item, with Bennett’s then-wife, the daughter of then-State Senator Brian Bushweller, being cast aside in favor of the bottle.
This, um, did not work wonders for Brad Bennett’s political fortunes. Here’s the story I heard about this, Bennett’s second DUI, and the one that did him in politically. I was told this story by a former state representative who says he was present for the beginning of what ensued. There was a delegation of state legislators and former legislators who attended a Phillies game and had their own special box replete with all the amenities, including booze. Both Bennetts got snockered, and they were hurling F-bombs at each other. Andria bolted and took the train back to Wilmington. The luckless Brad got into his car, headed after her and, a couple of wrong turns later, ended up just as the article said, a couple of miles from the Wilmington Train Station.
He was done. The dutiful spouse stepped in to continue his noble career in public service. She subsequently announced that she had no intention of stepping aside once her husband found sobriety. I was rooting for a family primary, but no such luck. That, my friends, is why we’ve had eight years of hackdom from John Viola’s daughter/Brad Bennett’s wife.
I guess the only question is, what happens now? Bennett has been a reliable partner of the leadership. She, along with Bryon Short and Quin Johnson, helped to twice bury minimum wage legislation that had passed the Senate in an inhospitable committee. However, so were John Atkins and Brad Bennett, and Speaker Pete determined he had no choice but to cut them loose.
The chair of the 32nd RD Committee is, yes, Keri Evelyn Harris.
This story is about to get quite interesting…
Classy!
This a complex story of family and drinking problems. Rob Petree is a hack (so bad that even Kathy McG fired him). Is this newsworthy? I get that you dislike Andria Bennett, but are you adding to the public discourse here? Will you print a followup after the court hearing if the story changes?
Please. The context of this story dates back to 2012.
Andria is every bit the hack her father was. We’ve written about it frequently here. With copious examples.
The story is essentially the police report, not the work of some hack reporter. If Brad decides not to press charges, it doesn’t mean that the police report is invalid.
Yes, any time a lawmaker is arrested and charged with a crime it’s newsworthy.
Adding to the public discourse? Somebody has a severe case of paternalism here.
Is Petree a hack? Yes! Is this a story? Yes! But why is it a story? It’s not the crime its the coverup!
The publicly exposed substance abuse issues between the 2 principals are deserving of empathy.
The lack of reporting of the arrest of a sitting elected official deserves close scrutiny.
It’s the crime AND the cover-up. If the police report is accurate, she beat the shit out of him.
Plus, my empathy is limited by the knowledge that they’ve had these issues for some time, they’ve surfaced in public, but apparently have not chosen to address them. Not to mention, SHE’s a public official and is accountable for her behavior.
fair point, empathy in my view does not in any way preclude accountability.
A plug for recovery in general. It’s always possible. Sometimes it needs “A nudge from the judge!”
When you have a state legislator arrested for domestic abuse is it filed as news, politics or again?
Police cover up!?! Hah. Stop with the nonsense. You want CJ reform and more lenient sentences for everyone else, but LOCK HER UP! These charges likely won’t stick and afterwards they’ll still need to work on their drinking/marriage problems. All you’ve done is use your dislike of her to bring this matter wider and unneeded attention. This affects the way she does her job? Using this to encourage KEH to run? Do better elsom.
Possible type of troll: Legislative aide or big supporter or family member:)?
News is news but thanks for your interest.
It has nothing to do with locking her up, asshole. It has to do with reporting the news, which the police did not do.
Why is the attention unneeded? You have put forward nothing but your opinion that something that’s obviously news should not be reported. Here’s a little mental exercise: What crime isn’t going to look bad for someone who committed it? Why should this crime go unreported to the public, because your delicate sensitivities are offended? Fuck you.
You are very, very close to getting banned.
This is it for you, C. Did anybody say lock her up? No.
The arrest took place early last Sunday morning. Wasn’t revealed until almost a week later, and I betcha that someone got wind of it. Police sat on it.
SHE brought this on itself. Sure it’d be great if they ‘work on their marriage/drinking problems’. But it has nothing to do with the story. It was a story when Bennett had his DUI’s, it was a story when John Atkins had his DUI’s, it was a story when Rod Dixon (back in the day) had his DUI’s. It’s a story when a state representative is arrested for beating their spouse.
You know what? Maybe it DOES impact the way she does her job, I mean she sucks at it, maybe she wouldn’t if she had all her faculties about her. If you don’t consider this a story, then it’s your problem, not mine.
‘Do better elsom.’ I will. This is your last comment on this unless you get out of troll mode.
Sounds like Sarah W. or Drew to me.
Thanks JC…wrong on both accounts. No dog in this fight. Qanon hints at coverups. If Elsom has proof of a police coverup or delay, he should present it now. Elsom?
It happened a week ago. All information about crimes in Delaware must be released by police.
This is obviously newsworthy and yet was not released for almost a full week. You clearly don’t know anything about journalism, and you also clearly don’t know the procedure for release of police reports in this state. If you want to prove otherwise you’d better do so quickly.
You should learn that assholes get a quick dismissal here. You’re in no position to make demands, but you’re in excellent position to fuck all the way off.
The REV tells me that the 32nd RD chair is Jenny Harris, Keri’s mom.
Good bloodlines.
This really is a sad story. You may dislike Andria because you don’t agree with her politically but she is a responsive representative who listens to the people of her district. Throw a socialist like KEH in there and there goes the will of the people.
The people of the 32nd District don’t want a $15 minimum wage? Betcha they do.
They don’t the wealthy to pay their fair share in income taxes? Betcha they do.
Those are just two planks of pretty much any Democratic platform that she consistently votes against.
When you’re running in an overwhelming D district, you will win handily.
Let’s just she how she fares with the will of the people if she’s challenged in a primary. DL was, what was it, 6 for 6, in supporting progressive challengers to defeat entrenched incumbents this last cycle. Including the defeat of Andria’s backbencher father, who had won huge victories in the past, because he hadn’t been challenged.
You can’t beat somebody with nobody, and you can’t beat a nobody with a nobody. But you CAN beat a nobody with somebody.
None of those primaries were in Kent County
They will be next cycle. No more political gifts down here in Kent. Look how well Jess Scarane did in Kent County during the primaries. They love progressive challengers in Kent County!
Not to mention, an incredibly strong progressive has been elected several times ‘by the people’ right next door to Bennett: Sean Lynn.
Lol
You’re the one we’re laughing at, slackjaw.
Please explain what the “fair” tax should be? Remember that many high earners have already left the state.
Not that hoary old chestnut. Let ’em leave. Raise a statewide property tax to make up the shortfall — you pay tax on your property even if you pretend to live in Florida.
A lesson mainstream Democrats have never learned: Never give in to blackmail. When a person tells you they’ll leave rather than pay, that’s blackmail. Cave once and you’ll cave forever.
A progressive tax is a fair tax. Delaware’s top tax rate now tops out at around the median household income. So it’s only progressive to small earners; for the rich it’s a flat tax.
Hey, we kept Charlie Copeland from leaving, and all we had to do was abolish the estate tax.
Get a new monicker. Yours is already taken. You’re not the real DD.
Might I suggest one w/o the word ‘Dem’ in it?
Kent, some of the authors of DL think they know better what RD32 voters want more than RD32 voters themselves. Clearly the voters have been tricked into voting for her by large margins like 4 or 5 times now.
Pretty lame defense of a drunken criminal. You must be drunken criminals yourselves.
When campaign surrogates (or candidates themselves) show up here to argue, it isn’t a good sign.
12/21/2020 Thank you for posting a truthful account of what happened. Every other news agency in my search “Andria Bennett DOVER, Del.” has an image of a toothy smiling Andria with our flag as her backdrop versus a mussed hair, mask wearing mugshot like others who’ve been arrested in Delaware. Other sources had no details regarding the reasons why she was arrested or who besides herself was involved? Without your account she would have gotten a John Atkins “Get Out Of Jail” FREE pass in the NO-content media with the exception of the public comment threads which outed his true character. He’s history, thank goodness! I’m sure he still uses a wheelbarrow to move that big head of his around? Again, thank you for the truth in reporting and consider blocking the vulgar and crude which defines them. Merry Christmas
IF Rep. Bennett resigns and there’s a special election, do you think the Dems could blow the seat and lose narrowly, like they did with a Levy Court seat seat down here (Dist. 2) that I’m pretty sure has similar registration figures? And this is a big, big if.
No, I see no problem in the D’s retaining. The last redistricting, ironically designed to help then-Rep. Brad Bennett, increased the D margin significantly.
The registration figures for RD 32 currently stand as follows: 7742 D; 3589 R; 4095 I. There would not be a primary for the special, but the candidates would be designated by their respective parties.
In the last two election cycles, the R’s have run Cheryl Precourt, a staunch abortion foe. She got 37% in 2018, and 36% this past election.
Not to mention, the D’s have developed an awesome grassroots organization that the R’s can’t hope to match.
The News Journal seems entirely unconcerned that the police bottled up this news for six days. How surprising.
Oh, shoot, I forgot I live in this district. Had to look at a map.
You kind of lose track of stuff like this when your right to vote is revoked by the state. Damn.