OKLAHOMA CITY —Rep. Ajay Pittman resigned from her position representing District 99 in the Oklahoma House of Representatives on Wednesday after pleading guilty to conspiracy and forgery.
“It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve the constituents of House District 99,” Pittman said in a statement issued Wednesday to which she attached a lengthy list of her accomplishments in office. “I am honored to say that my service in the office was effective as a local and national policy collaborator who handled our day-to-day governmental affairs…
“I believe stepping aside allows my district to be served without distraction,” Pittman continued. “Leadership is not only about holding office, but it’s also about knowing when to close a chapter with grace and clarity.”
Pittman reached an agreement with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission and the state Attorney General allowing her to avoid jailtime, instead receiving a seven-year deferred sentence.
As part of her sentence, Pittman was compelled to resign from office. She also agreed to not run for any elected office within the State of Oklahoma – including state, city, county, school board or any other elected position – for the next 15 years.
Pittman is also required to pay the $17,141.78 still due from the settlement she had reached with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission in 2024, which found she had misused $35,000 in campaign funds over the previous years. The agreement includes a payment plan for Pittman, allowing her to pay off the penalty at $357 a month for the next two years.
Last October, the Ethics Commission filed a lawsuit against Pittman accusing her of violating the 2024 settlement by providing fraudulent documents, and Pittman’s home and office were raided by law enforcement.
According to court filings, Pittman had told the Commission she could not provide requested campaign finance documents because the documents had been destroyed due to water damage at her office. Pittman submitted a letter purporting to be from “D. Hill, Building Manager” attesting to the damage; however, using metadata embedded in the document, the letter was revealed to have been authored by Pittman’s mother, Anastasia Pittman, who also served in the Oklahoma Legislature representing HD 99 from 2006 to 2014 and then represented state Senate District 48 from 2014 to 2018.
The lawsuit also claimed that Rep. Pittman submitted a fake cashier’s check for $2,500 as payment toward her settlement. Though the settlement had required Pittman to make settlement payments out of her personal funds, the Commission found that Pittman doctored a campaign donation check to look like a cashier’s check. Legal filings show Pittman asked longtime legislative aide Trena Byas, who was also charged, to alter the check to look like a cashier’s check. Byas had also worked for Pittman’s mother, Anastasia, when she served in the Oklahoma Legislature. Byas resigned from the state Senate effective Jan. 9.
Pittman appeared before a judge Wednesday morning and pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit a Felony, Forgery in the Second Degree, and Violating the Oklahoma Computer Crimes Act.
“Public officials hold a sacred trust with the people they serve,” Attorney General Gentner Drummond said in a statement his office issued Wednesday. “When that trust is violated for personal gain, it strikes at the very heart of our institutions. This office will continue to hold elected officials accountable when they abuse their positions and betray the public’s confidence. No one is above the law in Oklahoma.”
Oklahoma House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow, said Pittman’s resignation “follows serious and proven violations of ethics laws. This conduct is unacceptable and falls well below the standard expected of anyone serving in the Oklahoma House of Representatives.”
Oklahoma House Democratic Leader Cyndi Munson, D-Oklahoma City, noted that Pittman had been suspended from the Oklahoma House Democratic Caucus back in October. Pittman had also been removed from her committee assignments at that time.
“While we believe everyone has the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, with charges formally filed, we know that Rep. Pittman will no longer be able to serve the people of House District 99,” said Munson. “I thank Rep. Pittman for her service to the House of Representatives and especially to those in her district. The Oklahoma House Democratic Caucus remains committed to accountability and transparency for all elected officials. We will continue our work in serving all constituents and showing up day after day to find solutions to the problems they face. That is what we were elected to do and our focus on that mission has not wavered.”
The Oklahoma Black Legislative Caucus, which Pittman chaired for a time, did not issue a statement regarding Pittman’s resignation, and could not be reached for comment in time for publication.
In the “Record of Service” Pittman attached to her resignation announcement, she noted that she had introduced 111 bills from 2019 to 2025. Her name was included as an author or coauthor for 148 bills that became law, including measures that enacted child welfare and juvenile justice reforms, public safety improvements, technology and workforce modernization and health and human services enhancements. Her advocacy contributed to the expansion of SNAP benefits for online purchases, and the creation of the Oklahoma Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives.
In her resignation letter, Pittman said this does not mark the end of her service to the people of HD 99.
“Public service does not end with a title, it only pivots when the assignment is completed,” Pittman said.
