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Those Repressed Republicans:
Oklahoma Senator & his 17-yr.-old boy toy

Republican state Senator Ralph Shortey (Oklahoma), part time trophy hunter, is married to his high school sweetheart and has three children. Previously he was the Oklahoma chair of Donald Trump’s campaign during last year’s primaries. Shortey (ironically 6-ft. 6-in. tall) was also arrested last week on three felony charges: engaging in child prostitution, transporting a minor for prostitution and engaging in prostitution within 1,000 feet of church. The minor is a male teenager.

As a result, the 35-year-old politician submitted his resignation to the Senate, stating he would step down immediately. The allegations also led to Shortey’s removal from his volunteer position with the Oklahoma City YMCA’s Youth and Government program, in which he has been active for 17 years, serving as a chaperone on several out-of-state trips (!).

Acting on a tip from the teenager’s father (!!), police say they went to a Super 8 hotel (!!!) earlier this month and smelled marijuana coming from a room, where they found Shortey and the seventeen-year-old male. A search of the teen’s tablet revealed sexually explicit exchanges in which Shortey referred to the teen as “baby boy” and offered him cash in exchange for “sexual stuff.” The conversation had started with the teen messaging Shortey that he needed money for spring break. Officers also found lotion and an open box of condoms in the room.

Police say Shortey and the teen told officers that they had known each other for a year, having met through Craigslist. They later communicated via the messenger application Kik.

In the state Senate, Shortey routinely voted with his Republican colleagues on bills targeting gay and transgender people, including a measure passed earlier this year that would allow business owners to discriminate against gay people. Even though the aroma of marijuana was wafting through Shortey’s hotel room, earlier this year he had sponsored a bill to stiffen the penalties for drug possession within 1,000 feet of a school or church, although voters in November passed a law to make such crimes misdemeanors. Shortey should be glad his own bill went nowhere.

Thanks, Coffeejockey!