Lawmakers call on Rep. Roberts to end his bid for Labor Commissioner amid accusations of abuse by ex-wife
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) - Carol Bush, House Chair of the Women's Caucus, and Representative Tammy Townley held a press conference Monday in downtown Oklahoma City calling on Sean Roberts to end his campaign for Labor Commissioner.
This comes after documents from a decades old divorce have surfaced detailing an abusive Sean Roberts towards his ex-wife, Jennifer.
"I called the police because he punched me in the mouth over a song I downloaded," said Roberts' ex-wife in a judge signed record.
The divorce dates back to the early 2000s, when the couple was living in Tennessee.
Roberts' ex-wife goes on to add more.
"Throughout our 6 years of marriage, he pushed, slapped, and kicked me, even while I was pregnant," said Jennifer.
In today's press conference, Bush denounced such actions.
"This violent behavior has no place in politics, governance, or leadership," said the state representative. "Not standing up and saying anything about this abuse sends a message that it is okay and it's not okay."
Bush, along with Rep. Townley, Senator Jessica Garvin, Rep. Toni Hasenback, and Rep. Cindy Roe, declared Roberts "grossly unfit for higher office, or his current office for that matter."
Court transcripts reveal that Roberts admitted to a judge that he had his ex-wife's phone wiretapped after he had learned of an affair she was having with someone else.
The judge in the hearing said to Roberts at one point, "she's an adulterer, you have been a wiretapper."
Psychological abuse was mentioned in the divorce paperwork too.
Jennifer said that Roberts "would pour water on me, hold me down under the blanket," which would make her feel uneasy about falling asleep at night. And one point she said that he, "threatened to kill himself and me if I filed for divorce."
Sean Roberts is currently the State Representative from Hominy. He is in a run-off election for Labor Commissioner against incumbent Leslie Osborn.
Roberts' campaign released a statement which read, in part:
"The political hit, masquerading as a press release, was designed to go after Roberts for allegations relating to his marriage 22 years ago."
In July, I reached out to Jennifer Roberts about her statements made in court. She did not confirm nor deny what was detailed in the records. She did add that too much time had passed for her to comment on the subject, and that her and Roberts were now on good terms.
Roberts' campaign released another statement, this time with Jennifer Roberts' signature on the bottom. It was dated for August 1, 2022.
It was a pivot from the decades old statements of abuse:
"I have nothing bad to say about him. Sean is a good man and helped co-parent our two boys who are now 22 and 25 years old."
Governor Kevin Stitt endorsed Sean Roberts at the end of June around the time of the primary election.
The governor's campaign spokeswoman Donelle Harder sent a statement which read:
"Conservatives take Jennifer Roberts at her word that Sean is a great father and that he will make an outstanding Labor Commissioner who will fight for taxpayers and small businesses."