Oklahoma House Republicans subpoena Ryan Walters

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Republican leaders in the Oklahoma House of Representatives took the rare step on Tuesday of issuing a subpoena for State Superintendent Ryan Walters.

The subpoena, issued by GOP Representatives Mark McBride (R-Moore), Rhonda Baker (R-Yukon) and House Speaker Charles McCall (R-Atoka), comes amid frustration over Walters’ lack of transparency regarding department spending and grant requests.

For months, McBride, Baker and other members of the House Education Committee have requested key documents and information from Walters. In mid-November, House members requested documentation of staffing, funding and emails at the State Department of Education. The request came with a set deadline of November 27th.

Nearly three weeks after that deadline, Walters and his team have so far refused to provide anything, the Representatives claim.

“Myself and many of my legislative colleagues have repeatedly tried to communicate with the superintendent and his staff about these important issues,” McBride said in a statement.

“With the amount of tax dollars being spent… legislative oversight of this spending is critical.”

According to The Oklahoman, the subpoena now makes Walters legally obligated to provide the requested information by January 5th, 2024.

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Both Democrats and Republicans demand transparency and accountability from Walters

During his time in office, Walters has brought, in the eyes of many legislators, chaos to the Department of Education.

Walters’ heated rhetoric is alleged to have encouraged violent threats against schools and teachers across the state. Likewise, his intentional targeting of specific districts with threats of shutdowns and inordinate requirements has drawn condemnation from leaders across the political spectrum.

All of these actions have unfolded against a backdrop of missed funding opportunities, high personnel turnover and diminished academic results.

Now, as Republicans utilize their subpoena power to get answers, House Democrats are also demanding action.

Shortly after news broke that the state department was delaying federal funding from reaching schools, Democrats renewed calls for an investigation into Walters.

The investigation, according to a statement from House Democrats, would determine whether Walters should face impeachment charges.

House Republicans have thus far remained hesitant to begin impeachment proceedings. However, the decision to issue a subpoena signals a significant shift in the leadership’s posture toward Walters.

Intertwined with the critiques of Walters’ actions, many have also expressed concern about diminishing professionalism from Walters’ top advisors.

Walters’ top spokesperson Matt Langston, a Texas contractor, was asked to comment on the rare decision to issue a subpoena.

In his response, Langston claimed the Republican representatives calling for transparency over the use of taxpayer dollars are actively working “with Democrats and teachers unions to undermine Superintendent Walters’ and Oklahomans’ conservative policies.”