Oklahoma House Speaker Kyle Hilbert commented on the resignation of Representative Pittman, D-Oklahoma City, who earlier Wednesday pleaded guilty to felony forgery charges.
“Today, I received a copy of Representative Pittman’s resignation from the Oklahoma House of Representatives,” Hilbert said. “Her resignation follows serious and proven violations of ethics laws. This conduct is unacceptable and falls well below the standard expected of anyone serving in the Oklahoma House of Representatives.”
Last October, Pittman had her fifth-floor office searched by the attorney general’s office on the same day the Oklahoma Ethics Commission filed a lawsuit accusing Pittman of faking documents regarding an investigation into campaign finance violations.
After Attorney General Getner Drummond’s office confirmed an investigation into the allegations, Speaker Hilbert removed Pittman from the State-Tribal Relations Committee. She was later suspended from the House Democratic Caucus and from all other committees she served on.
Lee Anne Bruce Boone, the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Ethics Commission, said that Pittman willfully abused the trust of the people she served. “This case involved intentional misconduct and deception, not reporting errors or technical mistakes,” Boone was quoted as saying in a report by KFOR.com
According to nondoc.com, Pittman and a longtime aide were charged with multiple felony counts related to the alleged forgery of a $2,500 check.
In her resignation letter, Pittman stated that it had been “the honor of a lifetime” to serve the people of her district, who re-elected her to a fourth term in 2024. She said she was choosing to step aside “in the best interest of the district and our great institution.”
“This decision will allow the House’s work to continue without distractions and ensure that the focus remains on the needs of Oklahoma’s people,” she said.
In return for pleading guilty, Drummond said that Pittman will receive a seven-year-defferred sentence.
The longtime aide, Trena Byas, had worked for Pittman’s mother, Anastasia, who herself served 12 years in the House and Senate. Since 2018, Byas had worked as the executive assistant to Sen. Mary Boren, D-Norman. Byas resigned her position on January 9th, according to reporting from NonDoc.com.
