Oklahoma Political News Service: OK Political News Service Flashback!

Lt. Gov's bodyguard quits amid allegations of affair December 8, 1998 AP OKLAHOMA CITY An Oklahoma Highway Patrol bodyguard for Lt. Gov. Mary Fallin has resigned after admitting ''unprofessional conduct'' amid allegations by her estranged husband that she had an affair with a bodyguard. Mrs. Fallin, a Republican who was elected to a second term last month, filed for divorce last week. At a hearing, Fallin's attorney raised an allegation about the lieutenant governor having an affair with an unidentified bodyguard. In a statement Monday, Public Safety Commissioner Bob Ricks said rumors surfaced in early September about ''alleged unprofessional conduct between a member of the executive security detail and the lieutenant governor.'' The statement said the trooper first denied the allegations, but was again questioned late last month and ''admitted to unprofessional conduct and was permitted to resign. That resignation was accepted last week. His admission did not indicate that sexual activity was involved.'' The trooper was not identified and Ricks was reported unavailable for further discussion of the matter. Lana Tyree, Mrs. Fallin's attorney, later issued a statement saying the lieutenant governor would have no comment. ''Out of legitimate concern for the privacy and welfare of her minor children through the Christmas holidays, Lieutenant Governor Mary Fallin, having denied the allegations, will not respond to or debate these issues in the media and will make no further public comment,'' the statement said. Mrs. Fallin, 43, and her husband have two children, ages 11 and 8. In court, Mrs. Fallin had said the allegations of an affair with a bodyguard were a rumor started by her husband. At last week's hearing, District Judge Jerry Bass prevented Fallin's attorney from pursuing questions about an alleged affair. In response to a question from his wife's attorney, Mr. Fallin said he had hired a private investigator to follow her. Another hearing in the divorce case is set for next Monday. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sex scandal roils Oklahoma politics: Official accused of having affair with trooper December 12, 1998 Kansas City Star (MO) TULSA, Okla. - The debate over precisely what constitutes sexualrelations has spread from the nation's capital to this heartlandstate, where the lieutenant governor is accused of an improperrelationship with a state trooper. The situation has Republican Gov. Frank A. Keating battling partisan charges of hypocrisy for refusing to publicly criticize his second-in-command, Mary Fallin, while condemning President Clinton's conduct with Monica Lewinsky as ``outrageous'' and calling for Clinton's resignation. ``We have to handle this fairly and professionally and in a nonpartisan fashion, fully independent of what is happening nationally,'' Keating said in an interview. ``We can't let the winds of the Washington scandal blow us to the right or left. '' The governor added that there was no evidence that sexual intercourse had taken place between Fallin and Greg Allen, a member of her security detail. Keating has nonetheless ordered the state Public Safety Commissioner to leave ``no stone unturned'' in an official review. Fallin and Allen - who resigned after acknowledging that he engaged in ``unprofessional conduct'' - have denied a sexual relationship. However, Allen admitted that on more than one occasion he had held Fallin's hand and had comforted her as she wept on his shoulder over her troubled marriage. He also said that they had kissed - ``but merely as you would kiss a friend,'' explained his attorney Gary James. For that, James said, Allen initially thought it was best to resign. Allen, who is married, is now asking for his job back. The firestorm erupted Dec. 4 when Fallin, 43, considered an up-and-coming Republican political figure, announced that she was seeking a divorce. At a sensational court hearing that day, she accused her husband of 14 years of abusing her, of using drugs and of hiring a private investigator to follow her. Joseph Fallin, a dentist, denied the abuse and drugs but admitted hiring the investigator. ``This is about you having an affair with one of your bodyguards, isn't it?,'' Joseph Fallin's attorney, Bill Liebel, asked Mary Fallin in open court. ``That was a rumor started by my husband,'' she responded. The judge quickly called a recess and then barred further reference to the matter. But the cat was out of the bag. A few days later, Public Safety Commissioner Bob Ricks confirmed that Allen had been ``permitted to resign,'' although the trooper had denied that any ``sexual activity'' had occurred. ``In all honesty, none of us wanted to know any details,'' Ricks said in an interview. ``Who wants to go into this salacious area? '' Keating, who is chairman of the Republican Governor's Association and who has presidential aspirations, is among those who would rather not be dealing with this. But state Democrats seized on the scandal to attack Keating, while avoiding any judgment of Fallin and her marital woes. ``He is a leading critic of the president, and what he is practicing nationally he is not practicing locally,'' said Pat Hall, executive director of the state Democratic Party. A spokesman for Keating responded that the governor's judgments about Clinton were made after the president admitted an improper relationship with Lewinsky. Posted at 5/31/2006 08:17:00 AM