If I were to tell you that Ryan Walters was being probed, your reaction would likely be one of joy and elation, leading you to say something like…
“Good! It’s about time we shine a light up there to see what’s stuck in his ass! Sure, it’s probably just Matt Langston’s tiny hand holding a puppet cord, but it would explain and confirm why Ryan always has that blank, quizzical, and very uncomfortable expression on his face.”
If I were to then explain that it’s not a colonoscopy, alien examination device, or 1996 Ford Probe we’re talking about, and that Ryan’s being probed by the Oklahoma Ethics Committee for his use of state assets and resources to promote political activity on his official social media channels, you’d still probably be excited.
“Thank God! We all know Ryan is just as corrupt as he is incompetent. Even though nothing of substance will likely come from it, and he’ll dodge accountability and frame it all as a witch hunt, it will be fun to see him squirm.”
Well, I guess let the squirming begin.
Via Yawn Doc:
Second ethics probe examines Ryan Walters for social media, political activity
With his handling of 2022 campaign funds already being questioned, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters is also being investigated over whether certain posts on social media and certain comments on issues mostly concerning President-elect Donald Trump violate ethics rules about the use of state money, property, or time.
The Oklahoma Ethics Commission disclosed its latest investigation of Walters on Thursday when members voted 5-0 to authorize Ethics Commission executive director Lee Anne Bruce Boone to “pursue prosecution in district court.”
Commissioner Adam Weintraub then made a rare motion to make public the identity of the person being investigated. Matters taken up by the Ethics Commission are usually confidential, with investigations and complaints identified only through case numbers. Identification of those being investigated usually occurs only after a settlement agreement is reached or court action is taken. However, commissioners determined it was in the public’s interest to reveal Walters’ identity.
That’s fun and all, but the Ethics Commission really missed a chance to spice things up!
Instead of the stale, bureaucratic announcement, they should have revealed Ryan Walters' identity Let’s Make a Deal-style. Imagine a dramatic pause as the crowd cheers, the curtains part, and there’s Ryan, perched in his SUV, recording another unhinged vlog while surrounded by stacks of Trump bibles and banned library books.
Seriously, they really missed their chance there. Maybe they were too focused on Ryan’s other investigations to be creative.
At the same meeting, the Ethics Commission also voted 5-0 to file a subpoena seeking campaign records related to Walters’ successful 2022 election after not getting a response to a request made to him in October for the material. Walters’ attorney responded last month by saying Walters and his committee objected to the subpoena’s requests, arguing they lack any responsive documents to produce to the Ethics Commission. Commissioners also voted to make that investigation of Walters public.
At a hearing on proposed administrative rule changes for the Oklahoma State Department of Education, OSDE director of communications Dan Isett declined to comment.
“That’s a campaign thing, that’s a campaign-side thing,” Isett said.
After clarification that questions regarded the commission’s separate investigation into social media posts — including one from the official OSDE Twitter account — he reiterated the issue was a “campaign-side thing.”
I know Dan Isett is just a lowly foot soldier in this whole “Privatize Public Education While Using Public Education Funding to Promote Ryan Walters on the National Stage” movement, but let’s be honest — there’s no meaningful difference between Ryan’s campaign and agency rhetoric. They’re basically two sides of the same coin, and the whole coin deserves to be probed, prodded, and pulverized.
Who knows?
Maybe these probes can get the job done and hold Ryan accountable for his actions, but I wouldn’t bet on it.
Our lawmakers go out of their way to make the Ethics Commission as toothless as possible.
Plus, as we’ve seen with the LOFT report and Gentner's “Grand Jury” decision not to pursue an indictment against Walters, although it’s trendy for some politicians and lawmakers to criticize Walters through the media, when it comes time to hold him legally accountable, well, that’s a bit too risky in the reddest of all red states.
Either way, I guess it will be entertaining to watch the investigation play out and to see what surprise press conferences, SUV vlogs, and official OSDE X-posts to Donald Trump begging him to sweep in and take action against the swamp it generates.
Basically, the stuff behind Door #3.
Stay with The Lost Ogle. We’ll keep you advised.
