Police in the southern coastal town of Lewes say the 78-year-old Donaldson was stopped Dec. 1 for a traffic violation. Police say the officer determined Donaldson had been drinking and gave him field sobriety tests.
Donaldson was arrested and later released.
Court officials said Thursday that Donaldson waived the arraignment set for Friday. The case has not yet been scheduled for trial.
Donaldson was twice chief White House correspondent for ABC News, covering Presidents Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton. He also co-hosted "PrimeTime Live" with Diane Sawyer and the ABC News Sunday morning broadcast "This Week with Sam Donaldson and Cokie Roberts."
