Elite prosecutor misused position by offering Justice Department card in DUI stop, watchdog finds

Associated Press

MIAMI (AP) — A Justice Department watchdog found one of the nation’s most prolific federal narcotics prosecutors flouted ethics rules last year when he drunkenly handed his business card to Florida police investigating a hit-and-run crash. The finding comes nearly a year after The Associated Press published body-camera footage following a Fourth of July crash in which Joseph Ruddy was accused of striking another vehicle, leaving the scene and improperly seeking to leverage his position as an assistant U.S. attorney in Tampa. Ruddy was eventually allowed to plead no contest to reckless driving and given 12 months’ probation. Neither Ruddy nor his attorney responded to messages Wednesday seeking comment.