Another former campaign chair for President Donald Trump’s presidential campaign lands himself in hot water after being caught in a hotel room with an underage teenage boy.
Oklahoma State Senator Ralph Shortey (R) served as Trump’s state campaign chair during the Republican primaries. According to the Lost Ogle, the senator announced his role on Facebook Sept. 2015 in as statement concerning an upcoming Trump rally at the Oklahoma state fair:
“I am proud and honored to have been tapped as Chairman of the campaign for Oklahoma.
We are very excited for the opportunity to have Mr. Trump here.”
Shortey was elected in 2010 and is best known for proposing a bill to ban fetuses in food. According to NewsOK, the senator married his high school sweetheart in 2002 and studied at Heartland Baptist Bible College in Oklahoma City in preparation for mission work in Uganda. The role of American “Christian” evangelicals in Uganda is another interesting story.
Shortey also sent a direct mail to his constituents showing off the endorsement of former disgraced Maricopa County Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio who praised him for his anti-immigrant positions. He also held a rally hosted by Beth and Dog the Bounty Hunter (who’s best remembered for his viral racist rant). And fellow state Senator James Lankford (R-Olka.) praised Shortey for his “conservative principles.”
The senator can be seen in the picture below with Donald Trump Jr.
The hulking 35-year-old senator is facing multiple charges from Moore, Oklahoma, after being caught in a Super 8 motel room with the underage teenage boy.
According to Bret Buganski with KOCO, police are recommending charges of transporting purpose of prostitution, soliciting prostitution of a minor, prostitution within 1,000 feet of a church.
Lt. Kyle Dudley told NewsOK.com:
“Responding officers found a juvenile male in a hotel room which was also occupied by an adult male. The circumstances surrounding this incident are currently under investigation, and no additional information can be released at this time.”
A Super 8 employee confirmed to KOCO that a man under the name “Ralph Allen Shortey” did check into the hotel around 12:20 a.m. and asked for a room with two beds. 30 minutes later, police went to the room after responding to a call requesting a “welfare check.” So far the caller has yet to come forward.
Police did not make an arrest, and so far no charges have been filed. However, authorities are investigating text messages between the senator and the boy.
Pam Pollard of the Oklahoma Republican Party said in a 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.”
Shortey’s not the first person connected to the Trump campaign to come under allegations of underage sexual contact. In May 2016 a Trump Maryland delegate was arrested by federal authorities and charged with creation and possession of child pornography and possession of an illegal gun and explosives.
Upon arriving, reporters found a note on the door of Shortey’s legislative office saying that he would be gone for a week.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjqjQSIjHBo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dggZD5RcLv8
Featured image via Heavy Editorial.
