Democratic Vice-Presidential candidate Tim Walz is facing backlash after reports revealed his 2006 congressional campaign made false claims about a drink-driving arrest when he was a high school teacher.

A police officer in 1995 stopped Mr Walz, who was 31 at the time, in Nebraska for going 96mph (154km/h) in a 55mph zone.

He pleaded guilty in March 1996 to a reduced charge of reckless driving. He lost his license for 90 days and was fined $200 (154), the Associated Press reported.

But in 2006, his campaign manager at the time told media that Mr Walz was not drunk when he was pulled over, falsely suggesting it was a misunderstanding.

Mr Walz failed field sobriety and breath tests after the trooper smelled alcohol on his breath, court documents show.

He was then transported to the hospital for a blood test where his blood alcohol level was 0.128% compared to the legal limit of 0.10%, according to court documents.

Mr Walz told Minnesota's Star Tribune newspaper that he was watching college football with friends before his arrest. He was booked into the Dawes County jail.

Then a high school teacher, he reported the incident to his principal and resigned from his football coaching responsibilities at the school. He offered to quit his teaching job, but the principal talked him into staying, the Star Tribune reported.

He said he quit drinking after the incident and described it as a "gut-check moment" in a 2018 interview.

The recent backlash Mr Walz faces stems from how his...

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