Another Democrat’s political career is crashing to an end, as Oklahoma state legislator John Waldron from Tulsa has decided to resign from his position later this year after allegations of sexual misconduct against him emerged, leading to pressure from the Democratic Party for him to step down. Waldron turned in his resignation letter stating that his final day in office would be October 1.
Waldron was up for reelection, but has since ended his campaign, despite his name remaining on the ballot. His decision to resign came after allegations arose that Waldron sent a video generated by artificial intelligence showing him kissing another woman to the individual featured in the video. A complaint was then reviewed by House Democratic Caucus leadership and then forwarded to the Oklahoma Democratic Party.
Leaders within the party then asked the legislator to step down, informing him he would no longer be receiving support for his reelection campaign. In the resignation letter, which was submitted to Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt, Waldron said that the notice was an “irrevocable affidavit” that certified he would not accept another term in the House, even if he were to be reelected.
According to The Oklahoma Voice, Waldron then requested the governor call a special election, if necessary, to allow House District 77 another opportunity to choose a candidate. The now disgraced Democrat spoke with NonDoc and admitted he used AI to create a GIF image of himself with a potential election candidate kissing and then sent the image to the woman.
Waldron then said he also stepped down as the chair of the state Democratic Party. At the time of his resignation, he stated on social media that he had decided to step down due to personal reasons, citing the coming legislative session and prior family commitments. House Minority Leader Cyndi Munson (D-Oklahoma City), revealed that Waldron has been suspended from the House Democratic Caucus and will remain so through his last day in office.
Munson went on to reveal that leadership within the House Democratic Caucus requested Waldron resign from office several times and urged him not to seek reelection. However, despite those requests, Waldron initially filed earlier in the month to run for another term. “Victims deserve privacy, justice, and accountability, and every decision made regarding this situation prioritized that,” Munson stated.
“Nothing was done without consulting the person affected by this abhorrent behavior,” she added. Oklahoma House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, a Republican, stated that he was not aware of the allegations made against Waldron until NonDoc published their report on the matter. He then said that if the minority caucus had done an investigation into the legislator, he hasn’t seen any findings from it.
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“We hold our members to a high standard because we are the representatives of the people, and those actions were not acceptable that he has admitted to,” Hilbert told reporters. Waldron’s Democratic challenger, Kristina Gabriel, issued a statement concerning his behavior, noting that it has done efforts to create uncomfortable and unsafe spaces.
“As a Democrat, I want everyone to feel comfortable and safe in our spaces, and Rep. Waldron’s behavior harms that effort,” Gabriel said in her statement. “I hope Rep. Waldron’s victim and any victim of unwanted or unsolicited sexual violations are afforded justice while maintaining their personal preference for anonymity.”
Featured Image: screenshot from embedded video