Who's ready for another edition of Oklahoma lawmaker Schadenfreude?!
KFOR reported earlier today that State Senator Bryce Marlatt – the Derplahoman lawmaker who first got our attention in 2014 when he was found passed out in his car at an intersection in Woodward after having one too many of what you would call bourbon and Cokes – is being accused of lewd acts with an Uber driver.
Apparently he mistook the driver for a legislative aide or something.
Here are the very vague details from KFOR:
Oklahoma State Senator, Bryce Marlatt, has been named as a suspect for alleged lewd acts against a female Uber driver.
According to the police report, an officer was approached at the Oncue at NW 23rd and Santa Fe by the Uber driver, who told him that she was unsure what she needed to do, but had been assaulted on Monday, June 26.
You know what, kudos to Marlatt for at least being responsible enough to get an Uber. Yeah, it's probably because he has a breathalyzer on his car or something, but it's still progress.
She stated that “she drives for Uber and was transporting a customer when he made advances on her during transit.”
The police report states the suspect “was grabbing her forcefully and kissing victim on the neck while she was driving.”
Investigators are still looking into the case and so far, Marlatt has not been arrested.
I don't know about you, but this sucks. I'm in a "Which Oklahoma Lawmaker Will Resign Next" fantasy betting pool with a some fellow KFOR coworkers. Marlatt was selected with the third pick in the first round by Galen Culver. I got stuck with Scooter Park. Hopefully he's caught cruising at Lake Hefner very soon, otherwise I'm out $20.
Anyway, I guess we should be clear and clarify this is just an accusation. Marlatt hasn't been charged with any crime, and although he's a hard-partying Oklahoma lawmaker with a very obvious drinking problem, his lawyer is surprised by the allegations:
Sen. Marlatt’s attorney tells us he is shocked and surprised by the allegations and has asked his legal counsel to work with Uber to get to the bottom of this.
I've talked to some Ogle Moles. I'll just say they're the opposite of surprised.
We'll follow this story and provide any updates. Oddly enough, I actually interacted with Marlatt's wife earlier this year on Twitter. Bryce posted a pic of the couple celebrating his 40th birthday during the apex of the state budget crisis and I chimed in with a standard response...
There's no word on if the Uber driver was a blonde.
