TULSA, Okla — Oklahoma State Rep. Terry O’Donnell announced his resignation as House Speaker Pro Tempore after he said in a written statement he and his wife were processed at the Midwest City Jail on Thursday.
O'Donnell said in a statement, "I am also announcing today my resignation as House Speaker Pro Tempore effective February 2, 2022. I will not allow false narratives to be a distraction to the work of the State House. But rest assured, I will keep fighting for my district, stand against Biden’s federal overreach, against prosecutorial misconduct used for political purposes, and I will defend our values.
I’m a fighter, and I’ll never back down or compromise on what’s best for Oklahoma.”
The full statement is here below:
"Today my wife, Teresa, and I were voluntarily processed at the Midwest City Jail. On this occasion, I would offer the following brief statement: Political operatives in Oklahoma City have a personal vendetta against me and are working to discredit our family's character and destroy our reputation. This is the same Washington D.C.- style partisan politics that has attacked our freedoms, values, national history, law enforcement, churches, economy and more. And just like voters reject these constant attacks – just like they reject the constant attacks on President Trump – I believe Oklahomans will do the same in this case. This all started when I sought to hold some very influential people accountable for gross abuses of power. This is retribution. Although I can’t get into the details of the case, I can only say we look forward to our day in court and to light being shined on the facts that have been grossly distorted or completely omitted. People who know us understand fully that my wife’s mother and grandmother ran the Catoosa tag agency for over 60 years. Service is a family legacy, not a crime. But their attacks won’t work. My wife and I are INNOCENT, and WE WILL FIGHT BACK and vigorously defend our integrity. I am also announcing today my resignation as House Speaker Pro Tempore effective February 2, 2022. I will not allow false narratives to be a distraction to the work of the State House. But rest assured, I will keep fighting for my district, stand against Biden’s federal overreach, against prosecutorial misconduct used for political purposes, and I will defend our values. I’m a fighter, and I’ll never back down or compromise on what’s best for Oklahoma."
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