Oklahoma City, Okla. (KOKH) — An ethics investigation into State Superintendent Ryan Walters will now head to a courtroom, while another ethics investigation will be settled out of court.
These complaints stem from potential campaign fund violations from Walters’ 2022 campaign to run for State Superintendent and posts he made on his social media regarding the 2024 Presidential Election.
Back in October the Ethics Commission authorized an investigation into alleged campaign finance rule violations. The Ethics Commission had voted to subpoena Walters for campaign records, but his attorneys argued that since a settlement that had been reached between Walters and the commission in March of 2024, there shouldn’t be a need for the campaign records. However, the lawyer for the commission said that settlement only took care of campaign records Walters had filed late or that he didn’t file at all.
The commission voted on Thursday to pursue prosecution in district court for this case.
A separate complaint made to the commission revolved around posts Walters made to his social media accounts relating to the 2024 Presidential Election and his support for then-candidate Donald Trump.
Ethics rules bar people like Walters from using their state official social media accounts to advocate for the election or defeat of a certain candidate.
The commission voted today to approve a proposed settlement for these issues.
In a statement to FOX 25, OSDE spokesperson Grace Kim said in part, “Supt. Walters has always committed to following all guidelines and transparency in his political operations.” She referred all other ethical questions to his campaign.
