The Rules Committee will begin behind closed doors as it reviews alleged improper conduct toward House staff and possible misuse of state resources.
UPDATE — Sept. 9, 2026: The House Rules Committee met behind closed doors for about eight hours Tuesday without announcing a conclusion or recommending disciplinary action against state Rep. Danny Williams.
Members reviewed investigative findings and heard from Williams and his attorney. Committee Chairman Mike Osburn said members requested additional information from House legal staff and planned to reconvene Thursday morning, Oklahoma Voice reported.
Osburn said any formal committee action would take place in an open meeting. Any disciplinary action against Williams would require a vote of the full House.
The original story follows.
OKLAHOMA CITY — Less than two months before the general election, allegations against a sitting Republican House member who previously served in the Legislature — and ran for governor — as a Democrat will go before a House committee Tuesday.
State Rep. Danny Williams, R-Seminole, served in the House as a Democrat from 1988 to 1994 and sought the Democratic nomination for governor in 1994. He returned to the House as a Republican in 2020.
Williams now faces Democrat Blake Cummings in the Nov. 3 election for House District 28, which includes Seminole County and part of Pottawatomie County.
The House Rules Committee will meet Tuesday, Sept. 8, to review complaints made by House staff and reports from investigations ordered by House leaders. Rules Committee Chairman Mike Osburn, R-Edmond, has said the committee will begin behind closed doors to protect the privacy of employees who made allegations.
Osburn said the public will be allowed to attend at some point. The committee also could continue meeting Wednesday, Sept. 9, and Thursday, Sept. 10, if more time is needed.
How the case reached the committee
House Speaker Kyle Hilbert said he learned early in the summer of a complaint alleging improper conduct by Williams toward a House employee. An interview with a witness raised additional allegations, prompting investigations by the House Human Resources Division and an outside law firm.
Hilbert said those reviews focused on alleged improper behavior toward House staff. Concerns about the potential misuse of state resources also emerged.
The findings prompted Hilbert to refer the matter to the Rules Committee. Hilbert also removed Williams from his committee chairmanships and relocated his Capitol office while the investigation proceeded.
Possible outcomes range from clearing Williams to recommending sanctions or expulsion. The Oklahoma Constitution allows the House to discipline its members, but expulsion would require approval from two-thirds of the full House.
Williams previously denied wrongdoing and said the accusations were not sexual. As of Monday, the House had not released the investigative reports or disclosed details of the alleged conduct.
Ethics investigation remains open
Williams also faces a formal Oklahoma Ethics Commission investigation involving possible violations of state conflict-of-interest rules.
Commissioners determined Aug. 13 that reasonable cause existed to believe violations of Ethics Rule 4 may have occurred.
That determination authorized a formal investigation. It was not a finding that Williams violated the rules.
The commission’s public notice did not identify who filed the complaint, disclose the specific conduct being investigated or say whether the ethics case is connected to the House investigation.
