Oklahoma House Member Receives Threats After House Censure Vote

An Oklahoma House representative received threatening messages after they were censured on the House floor on Tuesday.

News 9 received four voicemails from Rep. Mauree Turner's, D-Oklahoma City, office and an email directed toward Turner.  

The messages are racist, and violent in nature. Oklahoma Turner received this email at about 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The person called Turner a terrorist, a racial slur and told them they have no place in Oklahoma.

Turner came to work Wednesday with these voicemails in their phone inbox, which was full of racist remarks that threaten who Turner is as a person. These threats stem from Tuesday’s House vote to censure Turner.

“Absolutely embarrassing,” said minority leader Rep. Cyndi Munson, D-Oklahoma City, after the House voted to censure Turner on Tuesday.

An investigation alleged Austin Ross assaulted a House member and an Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper on Feb. 28. OHP confirmed troopers had to call House Speaker Charles McCall and get somebody at the Capitol to unlock Turner's door where Ross was allegedly staying.

“You can’t harbor a fugitive if someone has not been charged,” said Rep. Jason Lowe, D-Oklahoma City.

House members said Turner will remain stripped of their committee title until they send a formal apology letter.

“I think an apology for loving the people of Oklahoma is something that I cannot do,” Turner told reporters on Tuesday.

“When’s the last time you get a crime that’s no longer a crime if you apologize?” said Rep. Monroe Nichols, D-Tulsa.

Neither side agrees with what happened on Feb. 28. However, they do agree Turner doesn’t deserve threatening messages.

The House released a statement saying, "The House condemns all emails of this nature sent to representatives. They are reprehensible, inexcusable and have been reported to the proper authorities. Members on both sides of the aisle regularly receive threatening and insulting emails and all are taken seriously by House security and the OSBI." 

News 9 tried to get Turner’s thoughts on those messages Wednesday, but Turner said they did not have time.