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Inhofe Dismisses Allegations Of Ethics Violations From Okla. Democrats As 'False Attacks'

Twitter / @JimInhofe
Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) in a still image from a video posted to Twitter in February 2020.

Oklahoma's senior United States senator said Thursday that allegations of ethics violations made by the state Democratic party were unfounded.

"Yet again, the only thing the Democrats can come up with are false attacks against me," Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.) said in an emailed statement provided by a spokesperson for his reelection campaign. "They won’t distract me from doing my only job: protecting Oklahoma families from a radical liberal agenda.”

Oklahoma Democratic Party Chair Alicia Andrews held a press conference at the Tulsa Press Club on Thursday to announce that she and the party had formally requested the Senate Select Committee on Ethics investigate Inhofe on allegations that he illegally used his office for personal benefit.

In a letter addressed to Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.), who chairs the committee, Andrews specifically raises a question of Inhofe undervaluing personal assets on financial disclosure forms, and using a Tulsa office for both Senate and personal business.

"If Mr. Inhofe thinks so little about the citizens of Oklahoma that he can purposely try to mislead us about his personal business dealings, it is frightening to consider what other ways he is enriching himself at the expense of struggling Oklahomans," the letter reads.

"According to the Senate Ethics Committee, personal property does not need to be included in financial disclosure documents unless it is used in a business, which is clearly not the case here," the Inhofe campaign spokesperson said in an email. "Sen. Inhofe has only one job: United States Senator for Oklahoma."

The Associated Press reported in May that Inhofe had been the subject of an investigation into stock trading that had since been closed. 

The 85-year-old Inhofe will face Democrat Abby Broyles, 30, an attorney and former journalist from Bethany, Okla., in November.

Chris joined Public Radio Tulsa as a news anchor and reporter in April 2020. He’s a graduate of Hunter College and the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism, both at the City University of New York.
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