Oklahoma City Democratic Rep. Ajay Pittman announced her resignation from her elected position as a state lawmaker after pleading guilty to forgery charges Wednesday. The announcement comes after months of investigations and court proceedings.
Pittman has served House District 99 at the Capitol since 2019. Her guilty plea marks the culmination of a saga that began in 2020, when the Oklahoma Ethics Commission launched an investigation into the lawmaker's misuse of campaign funds.
Pittman was accused of improperly reporting $50,000 of campaign expenditures in 2020 and 2022. She was also accused of spending $18,000 on personal expenses, like credit card payments and ATM withdrawals. After negotiations, Pittman agreed to pay back her campaign $12,000.
But late last year, the Ethics Commission and the state attorney general's office sued Pittman in Oklahoma County Court, saying she used fraudulent checks to reimburse her campaign fund. The lawsuit prompted House Democratic leadership to suspend Pittman from official caucus activities in October, while the proceedings unfolded.
Attorney General Gentner Drummond announced Pittman's guilty plea to three felony charges in a Jan. 28 press release, the same day the lawmaker appeared before a judge and less than a week before the start of the 2026 legislative session.
The formal charges include Conspiracy to Commit a Felony, Forgery in the Second Degree, and Violating the Oklahoma Computer Crimes Act, according to court records.
"Public officials hold a sacred trust with the people they serve," Drummond said in the press release. "When that trust is violated for personal gain, it strikes at the very heart of our institutions. This office will continue to hold elected officials accountable when they abuse their positions and betray the public's confidence. No one is above the law in Oklahoma."
Pittman's punishment is a seven-year-deferred sentence. In other words, she's on a type of probation.
The charges will appear on her record for that amount of time and may be expunged from the public record at the end of her sentence if she meets certain stipulations.
Those include resigning from the legislature and paying a yet undetermined amount of money in restitution to a charitable organization. Pittman will also have to pay relevant court fines and fees and avoid further legal trouble.
In a press release, House Minority Leader Rep. Cyndi Munson, D-Oklahoma City, acknowledged Pittman can no longer serve her district and thanked her for stepping down.
"While we believe everyone has the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, with charges formally filed, we know that Rep. Pittman will no longer be able to serve the people of House District 99," Munson said. "The Oklahoma House Democratic Caucus remains committed to accountability and transparency for all elected officials."
Meanwhile, Republican House Speaker Kyle Hilbert released his own short statement, calling Pittman's behavior leading to the charges unacceptable.
"Her resignation follows serious and proven violations of ethics laws," Hilbert said of Pittman. "This conduct is unacceptable and falls well below the standard expected of anyone serving in the Oklahoma House of Representatives."
Pittman's district will elect a new representative later this year.
