Committee chairman leaves recommendations undisclosed following closed-door review of workplace allegations.
OKLAHOMA CITY — The House Rules Committee has agreed on recommendations concerning state Rep. Danny Williams’ workplace behavior, but the public will have to wait two weeks for the committee to take them up in an open meeting.
Chairman Mike Osburn, R-Edmond, announced the agreement Thursday after another closed-door meeting to review allegations against Williams, R-Seminole.
“After thorough discussion and consideration of the information presented to the committee, we have reached an agreement on recommendations to present to the speaker,” Osburn said.
He did not disclose the recommendations. The open meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m. Sept. 24.
Asked why the committee would wait until then, Osburn said, “Because that’s when we can get everybody back together.”
Williams faces Democrat Blake Cummings in the Nov. 3 election for House District 28. Williams 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.
Agreement follows closed review
Osburn said the committee had spent the past three days carefully reviewing allegations concerning Williams and his workplace behavior.
“The committee will continue to approach this matter with seriousness and fairness,” he said.
Rep. Andy Fugate, D-Del City, praised House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, for his response to the allegations and Osburn for his handling of the committee’s review.
“He acted swiftly when he was first informed about these allegations. He took them very seriously,” Fugate said of Hilbert.
Fugate said Osburn “went above and beyond in our meetings to promote open and honest discussion and review.”
As OK Politics Today previously reported, Hilbert said he learned early in the summer of a complaint alleging improper conduct by Williams toward a House employee. Additional allegations prompted investigations by House human resources staff and an outside law firm. Concerns about potential misuse of state resources also emerged.
Hilbert referred the findings to the Rules Committee, removed Williams from his committee chairmanships and relocated his Capitol office. Williams previously denied wrongdoing.
Separate ethics investigation
The Oklahoma Ethics Commission authorized a formal investigation Aug. 13 after determining there was reasonable cause to believe Williams may have violated Ethics Rule 4, which governs conflicts of interest, according to its public notice.
That determination authorized further investigation; it was not a finding that Williams violated the rules. The notice did not identify the specific conduct being investigated or say whether the ethics case is connected to the House investigation.
