Oklahoma state Sen. Ralph Shortey, who was a noted Birther and a member of President Vladimir TrumPutin’s leadership team, is under investigation after he was reportedly found in a motel with a boy younger than 18.
Shortey, 35, was found inside a Super 8 motel in Moore, Okla., on March 9 with a boy Cleveland County District Attorney Greg Mashburn said is 16 or 17, KFOR reports. (The age of consent in Oklahoma is 16.) A relative of the teen became concerned after finding text messages between Shortey and the boy on the teen’s phone. The relative contacted police, who learned of the boy’s whereabouts and checked the motel room, where they found the boy.
“Shortey is facing three charges in relation to the incident, soliciting prostitution of a minor, prostitution within 1,000 feet of a church and transportation for the purposes of prostitution,” according to Heavy.com.
Democratic Party leaders are calling for Shortey to suspend himself while police conduct their investigation.
“The legislature doesn’t need to be focusing on how to deal with or cover up an incident, another incident, like this right now. They need to be working on the business of the people,” Oklahoma Democratic Party Executive Director Sarah Baker said.
“The Oklahoma Republican Party takes all accusations against elected officials seriously, especially when the welfare of a minor is involved,” said Pam Pollard, chairman of the Oklahoma Republican Party. “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.”
According to Shortey’s bio on the Oklahoma Senate website, he married his high school sweetheart, Jennifer, in 2002, and they have two children.