Trey Radel admits to having a problem he needs to cope with and hopes to continue serving his country (wikimedia/creative commons)

USA Today quoted Radel saying “"I've hit a bottom where I realize I need help. And I have aggressively pursued that help," to the Superior Court in the District of Colombia. It was there that he also admitted to purchasing 3.5 grams of cocaine. He also told the court that he had been struggling with an alcohol problem for some time.

The Florida Representative does not intend to let the situation get to him, telling reporters that he will “come out stronger” and wishes to continue serving his country. He apologized for his actions and for letting down not only his constituents, but his wife and child.

Radel was elected just last year with support from the Tea Party, and was arrested as Toronto Mayor Rob Ford had also been stripped of his responsibilities for drug and alcohol abuse along with boorish behavior. 

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Radel is thought to be the first sitting member of congress charged with a drug crime since Representative Frederick Richmond in 1982, who was also charged with drug fraud and tax evasion.

Trey Radel intends to hold a press conference in Cape Coral, Florida, Wednesday evening at 10:30 PM Eastern Time. He faces one year of supervised probation.

Read the full story here. 

Reach Executive Producer Eric Parra here.