Ohio State Senator Andrew Brenner takes drive during meeting, pretends to be at home

When last year’s pandemic shifted our norms to having digital remote meetings to conduct business, it also ended up creating gaffes associated with the comforts of home.

Either home, or in the case of one Ohio Senator, on the road in their car.

Back on Monday, a video of a very preoccupied state Senator Andrew Brenner shows him driving in the midst of a virtual meeting with the Office of Budget and Management. He was clearly in his car at the start of the discussion, but Brenner decided to throw on a fake home office background to give the illusion that he was still at home.

However with the seat belt still visible it came off as if he was driving at his house.

"Senator Brenner was simply following the law, using hand free audio technology,"  Brenner’s communications director John Fortney said to Fox News.

The irony in the situation comes from the fact that House Bill 283, a distracted driving bill, was introduced. It’s a blanket ban on anything doing with drivers interacting with text messages, taking photos or videos, as well livestreaming or using apps while operating a vehicle.

But Senator Brenner argued his case to The Columbus Dispatch: "I wasn't distracted. I was paying attention to the driving and listening to it. I had two meetings that were back to back that were in separate locations. And I've actually been on other calls, numerous calls, while driving. Phone calls for the most part but on video calls, I'm not paying attention to the video. To me, it's like a phone call."

He fared better than another politician. Last month Canadian Liberal MP William Amos was caught completely nude in his office in the midst of an online question session. He explained he was changing into his work clothes after having gone out on a jog.