By John Dobberstein, Editor
As the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation has been asked to help with the investigation of nude images allegedly seen on State Supt. of Public Instruction Ryan Walters’ office television, a preliminary report is shedding some light on the device in question.
In a letter provided by lawmakers to Fox News 23 — which was posted on the news stations’ website and offered for downloading — the state’s Office of Management and Enterprise Services said OMES received a written complaint from an Oklahoma State Department of Education board member on July 24.
The complainant wanted to, “file a formal complaint and request that his computers, personal devices and cell phones used by him at his office using government resources be preserved to ensure any pornography be preserved…”
OMES said it reached out to the Oklahoma County Sheriff and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation “out of an abundance of caution” since, the agency said, it doesn’t have authority to investigate the matter.
The letter says Walters contacted OMES on July 28 and asked the agency to examine equipment at OSDE. OMES asked which device should be examined and Walters said a 55-inch Samsung TV located in his office, where board meeting executive sessions take place.
The letter shared with Fox News 23 says three sheriff deputies visited OSDE July 28 and had a third-party vendor, “perform a thorough analysis of the TV” and found it had cable access, streaming services, was connected to an empty DVD player, and was equipped with a dipole antenna.
The TV was connected to the state’s open WiFi network and a one-time passcode was required to access screen casting to the TV, limiting the number of people with casting ability to the device, OMES says, adding the search history on the TV was empty.
OMES says the TV previously belonged to a former OSDE employee and was relocated to Walters’ office earlier this month. The employee’s account was still connected to YouTube TV but under a new IP address. According to OMES, Walters mentioned that on board meeting days many staff members, board members and the public could access his office.
“Due to the hundreds of preloaded apps on the TV, the streaming services were not given a full review as the TV remained on-site,” OMES’ letter says. “At this time, we cannot determine definitively whether or not an incident took place.”
Meanwhile, the Oklahoma County District Attorney’s Vicki Behenna said it has requested OSBI to assist with the investigation. Behenna said the investigation, “centers on whether the State Superintendent of Public Instruction — or any other individual — improperly exhibited obscene material during executive session of the board meeting.”
Behenna has asked the OSBI to coordinate with the Sheriff’s Office to, “support a complete and well-coordinated investigation” and determine whether any criminal activity occurred, and if so, “ensure it is addressed through the proper legal process.
“If no wrongdoing occurred, the investigation will help provide clarity and resolution for all involved,” the statement said. “Public trust in our institutions matters. The DA’s Office takes all allegations involving public officials seriously, and we are committed to following the facts wherever they lead.”
In a press conference Tuesday, Walters blasted the investigation, insisting there had been no wrongdoing. He also suggested that Gov. Kevin Stitt might have put the OSBE board members up to making a report and that Stitt and OSDE board members “have a lot to answer for.”
In an exclusive interview with CBS News 9 in Oklahoma City, OSDE Board members Becky Mason and Ryan Deatherage talked about seeing nude images on the television during the executive session and being shocked at what they saw.
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