For Immediate Release: September 21, 2006

Sen. Reynolds Says Democrat Senator Should Prove His Accusation of Extortion – or Apologize to Oklahoma Police and Step Down from Task Force

State Sen. Jim Reynolds, R-Oklahoma City, said that a Democrat state senator who on Monday accused Oklahoma police departments and law enforcement officers of extorting money from Hispanic illegal aliens should provide evidence of the alleged wrongdoing.

Reynolds said if Sen. Jim Wilson, D-Tahlequah, cannot provide evidence to support his accusation, Wilson should apologize to Oklahoma law enforcement officers and step down from his position on the State Senate’s task force on illegal immigration. Wilson made the accusation during a meeting of the task force on Monday, Sept. 18.

“It is very disappointing that such a prominent Democrat state senator seems to be taking the side of illegal aliens over our own police officers,” said Reynolds.

“Sen. Wilson is a leader in the Senate and a leader of the Democrat party. If he has evidence that Oklahoma police departments and law enforcement officers are involved criminal activity, he should provide that evidence to the public and to prosecutors,” Reynolds stated.

“If Sen. Wilson doesn’t have any evidence, he should immediately apologize to our hard-working law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line protecting the people of this state,” Reynolds said. “He also needs to step down from the illegal immigration task force.”

Senate Democrat leaders did not appoint any Republican lawmakers to the Senate’s task force on illegal immigration. Many observers believe the Democrat-run task force is merely an attempt to provide political cover to Democrat legislators in an election year.


For more information contact:
Senator Reynolds' Office - (405) 521-5522