Rep. Vito Fossella (R-N.Y.) appeared at a press conference in Staten Island on Friday afternoon to apologize to his constituents one day after he was arrested for drunken driving during an early morning traffic stop in Alexandria, Va.

“This is an error in judgment. … I think the issue is, as a proud father of some very, very beautiful children, I failed to set the example I should have,” Fossella said.

According to New York media reports, Fossella’s blood alcohol content at the time of his arrest early Thursday morning was more than twice the legal limit.

Besides his brief apology, Fossella declined to answer specific questions about his arrest, explaining that his attorney had advised him not to comment.

He did tell reporters that he did not plan to resign because of the incident.

—John McArdle