OKLAHOMA: Soliciting Prostitution Charges For GOP Senator Busted In Hotel Room With Underage Boy

Oklahoma City’s ABC affiliate reports:

Moore police have recommended three prostitution-related charges against State Sen. Ralph Shortey. The charges include: soliciting prostitution of a minor, prostitution within 1,000 feet of a church and transporting for the purpose of prostitution. Police say the investigation started after a man was found in a motel room with an underage boy. Employees at the Motel 8 in Moore say a person by the name of Ralph Allen Shortey checked in shortly after midnight March 9, and police arrived about 30 minutes later.

Pam Pollard with the Oklahoma Republican Party released the following statement: “The Oklahoma Republican Party takes all accusations against elected officials seriously, especially when the welfare of a minor is involved. We have reached out to Senator Shortey for comment and have not heard back from him at this time. We await the report from law enforcement on whether charges will be filed.” The Senate has filed a resolution to impose punishment on Shortey for disorderly behavior. It passed with a 42-0 vote.

Shortey has now been stripped of all his state Senate committee memberships, his name has been pulled from all Senate bills, and he’s banned from returning to his office in the state Capitol Building or even using his assigned parking spot. Oh, and his intern page has been reassigned. The full list of punishments is at the link.

Shortey was Donald Trump’s state campaign chairman during the GOP primary. See this morning’s JMG report for more details about the scandal.