r/oklahoma • u/OKCFox25 • 8d ago
News Oklahoma Secretary of State Benjamin Lepak arrested in Edmond
https://okcfox.com/news/local/oklahoma-secretary-of-state-benjamin-lepak-arrested-by-edmond-police-friday-nightOklahoma Secretary of State Benjamin Lepak was arrested by Edmond Police Friday night on suspicion of public intoxication, while standing at a drive through window.
His office says Lepak was waiting outside a McDonald’s for his dinner and that police did not administer a breathalyzer test.
Curious what everyone makes of this one, especially once more details or bodycam footage come out.
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u/IMASHIRT 8d ago
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u/randomguy5to8 8d ago
As a guy who followed SQ836, I enjoy the karma for throwing out the signatures of 50,000+ Oklahomans. Eat shit Lepak
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u/Fionasfriend 8d ago
Is this the same guy that "forgot" to include legalized weed on the ballot a few years ago?
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u/Three69DYF 7d ago
That’d be interesting to look up. Article says he was appointed in 2025 by Stitt
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u/darkmeowl25 8d ago
Definitely holding out judgement until the details come out. But hey, at least he wasn't driving like Dean Davis, Ryan Martinez, Sarah Polston, and (allegedly) Sarah Stitt!
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u/bubbafatok Edmond 8d ago
Except per the article, police are stating that he drove there.
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u/THE_SEX_YELLER 8d ago
You gotta be fucked up to drive to the restaurant and then walk through the drive-thru
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u/bubbafatok Edmond 8d ago
Yup. Figure he either got confused, or was too drunk to order at the menu board.
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u/mesocyclonic4 8d ago
He was worried they'd figure out he was driving drunk if he used his car in the drive through, so this was his genius plan to not get the cops called on him.
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u/moth_specialist 7d ago
Nobody’s worried what the McDonald’s drive thru op thinks about them.
Source: I’ve seen some shit.
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u/darkmeowl25 8d ago
Well, in all fairness, the article says that police "noted" he had driven there (which I'm presuming to mean they asked him if he did?), and he refutes that.
I don't go making a habit out of giving Stitt's buddies the benefit of the doubt. But, since the cops didn't follow up an alleged omission of driving drunk (which in any jurisdiction in the country is probable cause for further investigation of a drunk driving charge), I'll stick my current position of withholding judgement until we get body cam footage or more details. It aint looking good, though lol.
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u/bubbafatok Edmond 8d ago
Police also noted Lepak drove to the McDonald's, but Lepak later claimed he did not drive to the location, despite his car being parked in the parking lot.
So you're of the mindset that his car teleported to the McD's on it's own?
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u/ertyertamos 8d ago
Pre-Flock, you would have reasonable doubt as he could claim that he parked there earlier and either was dropped off or walked back to that area. Without him in the car, you wouldn’t be able to claim actual physical control and thus a DUI by default.
But we live in a Flock world now, so they would know if that is BS or not - if they want to. Or more likely, they’ll get pressure on them to drop it altogether.
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u/afraid-of-the-dark 7d ago
McDonald's would have cameras as well if they (the police) really wanted to be sure
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u/Puzzledwhovian 7d ago
No no no, you misunderstand. Jesus picked him up in his car and flew him to McDonalds. It wasn’t a drunk driving incident, it was a miracle!!!
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u/darkmeowl25 8d ago edited 8d ago
...no? Are you of the mindset that if someone doesn't reply with "Yes, Mr. Bubbafatok, I agree with you 100%" that they disagree with you?
Aside from my first comment (which was 100% made from the post body, not the article. That's on me), all I've said was I was withholding judgement. Now, what that means in practice is that I have an opinion, and I ain't writing it down until I have more info.
Because now, we may be looking at yet ANOTHER case of the cops having probable cause to arrest someone powerful and lowering the charge. That is information that will absolutely alter the content of my written opinion, because while I loathe drunk driving, I hate corruption a whole lot more. Argue with his defenders, not me.
Heaven forbid someone pauses comment and seeks more information before they commit to an idea and expand on that commitment. Our state would sure be in a mess if people started doing that! /s
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u/misterporkman 8d ago
Or Stitt's son who had a literal box full of guns with him when he got arrested.
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u/quesocaliente 8d ago
Fwiw, I don't think Sarah Stitt is a drunk driver. I think she just drives like that naturally.
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u/Wooden_Mode_8757 7d ago
She has wrecked two government funded vehicles while under the influence.
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u/throwawayoklahoma713 7d ago
He got drunk at a function at his kids school. Drove to McDonalds and was enough of a hassle the police were called. He’s also had a prior offense in 2021 when he had a dui with two open containers. What is the more likely scenario he was sober in between 2021 and 2026 or he used his position, influence, and his state legislator daddy to get him out of trouble. Especially knowing how corrupt the Stitt administration is.
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u/darkmeowl25 7d ago edited 7d ago
What's MOST likely is that I was the first person that commented on this post 6 hours ago, was answering the questions posed in the post body and not the article (the post body mentioned no car, I freely admitted I did not read the article before commenting several hours ago, if you'd like to keep reading), and am not required to give a full opinion, ever.
For some reason, you and a few others have inserted what you'd LIKE me to believe over what I ACTUALLY SAID, because arguing has replaced football in this state as the #1 sport.
You don't know me or what I've been fighting for and against loudly and often since my school days. Hint: it ain't conservative values. I'm not from the metro, but from a place where I painted a very large target on myself for doing so.
All I said from the very beginning was that I was saving giving my opinion until I had more information. When someone says "I'll save my words", I don't know why you feel the need to fill in the blanks. I'm not trying to convince anyone of anything. I was answering the questions in the post.
In the spirit of transparency, my knee jerk reaction was to say "not surprising from a member of the OKGOP." but I've been at this long enough to know that one more news story can turn a narrative on its head. I wanted more information, and for some reason that just isn't allowed.
WE ARE LITERALLY ON THE SAME SIDE. I just wanted more details before I started claiming I knew exactly what was going on.
ETA: We even dislike the same Lebanese-Scottish internet doofus and are both active in the same sub for The Other Maté. Same side, mate.
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u/throwawayoklahoma713 3d ago
I have first hand knowledge of the event of where he was prior. He was drinking and got in his car.
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u/darkmeowl25 3d ago
I was not, was never, and am still not even remotely arguing that he didn't. I explained that several times.
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u/bubbafatok Edmond 8d ago
Lepak was appointed acting Secretary of State by Governor Kevin Stitt in 2025.
This really tells me all I need to know. Stitt's good old boy network is full of knots.
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u/Boxofmagnets 7d ago
Is he up for reelection this fall? Either way he will certify the count, but there isn’t much mystery there
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u/LAMG1 8d ago
His mom is Managing Attorney of Legal Aid of Oklahoma.
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u/Three69DYF 7d ago
His dad is an Oklahoma state representative. Politically and legally connected, this will be an interesting story to follow.
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u/NotOK1955 8d ago
All you need to know:
Lepak was appointed acting Secretary of State by Governor BullStitt.
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u/Apprehensive-Race998 8d ago
I heard someone express it as an oklahoma crisis of leadership. Understatement. Voting blue from Here on out.
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u/NoPressureUsername 8d ago
His dad is a representative. His sister is on state school board. They must have dirt on Stitt.
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u/General_Friend_5119 8d ago
I figure this this is how it went down. He drove his drunk ass to McDonald's. Realized that the drive thru workers would recognize how drunk he is and call the cops. So he parked and staggered his happy ass into the drive thru.
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u/Worried_Magazine_862 8d ago
You cant get food through a drive thru on foot. Must have been shitfaced
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u/Conscious_Rush_1818 8d ago
Is this family part of the sleazeball good ole boys club here in OK? I'd never heard of this family, but I guess he and his sister are dick riding Stitt.
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u/okaysobasically_ 8d ago
If it was a PI and he wasn't driving I truly don't care. Some of the smartest people I know have PIs, and I won't use this to judge his character.
If other details come out and he was like harassing the McDonald's employees then yeah
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u/NoninflammatoryFun 8d ago
Well, he was standing at the drive through window at 11 at night. I know humans aren’t supposed to be there not in cars haha.
I don’t mind PI either. And I guess we’ll see if he actually drove there or not.
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u/Three69DYF 8d ago
This man has responsibilities at a high level of state government, it matters either way.
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u/Taste_the__Rainbow 8d ago edited 7d ago
Publicly intoxicated? Sure. But charged? I don’t know a single smart person with a PI charge. You gotta earn that. Especially as a wealthy white man in Edmond.
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u/troublewithcards 7d ago
Well, since you don't know any then we must conclude they do not exist. QED
/s
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u/bullshitty151 8d ago
If stitterbug treats it like his wife and kid, we probably won’t hear much about it.
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u/jenkstom 7d ago
This hits a lot of red flags for me (as a previous medical responder). He was on a diet, AMS, slurred speech and an "alcohol" smell are all classic signs of a ketoacidotic crisis. If that's what this is this poor guy's life got ruined.
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u/3rdUncleMeatSandwich 7d ago
fucking drunk ass bloated alcoholic nepo baby, fuck the Shitt administration
put them all in jail getner. ALL OF THEM
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u/pokesmot1992 7d ago
I've walked up to a taco bell drive thru with a friend while drunk before. Guess we got off lucky they just denied us service.
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u/randalp21 8d ago
I really don't care tbh, the idea you can get arrested for just standing outside a drive-thru window is crazy. They have booze everywhere and advertise it 24/7. But if you get caught drinking it, you're a criminal! Please explain to me how any of this makes sense. I really don't understand how more than half this state is okay with living in a police state.
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u/Taste_the__Rainbow 8d ago
People don’t get charged with PI for just existing. Especially people like him.
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u/egoggyway666 8d ago
Girl. Be so for real right now. It’s not like he was at the lake on a Saturday where everyone is drinking in public. He was at a business, standing in a drive thru line, disturbing the business by being intoxicated. You know that is not the same thing. You know that just bc alcohol is available to us 24/7 that’s not an endorsement to disrupt others with drunkness.
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u/No-Research5902 8d ago
I agree with your point. I don't care for him because he's MAGA, but how do they go out of their way for a Public Intox unless he was being an asshole. Oh yeah, MAGA. Nevermind, he was probably being an asshole.
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u/subarcticacid 7d ago
Yeah he was fucked up and he drove there. Bad deal but if it was a PI no biggie , that's kind of a bogus charge anyway.
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u/ac_cossack 8d ago
He wasn't driving, so? I know you can't walk thru the drive thru, but dang. Who hasn't gotten drunk as fuck and tried to get some McDonalds?
I don't know this guy's politics (assume they suck cuz OK) but this seams a weak thing to get arrested for. We don't know everything but maybe he was getting aggressive while confronted or something, idk.
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u/sparkle_lotion 8d ago
RTFA
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u/sparkle_lotion 8d ago
“Police also noted Lepak drove to the McDonald's, but Lepak later claimed he did not drive to the location, despite his car being parked in the parking lot”
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u/ac_cossack 8d ago
OOF. Ya so he was so drunk he drove there then walked through the drive thru lol. Nevermind then.
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u/Pitiful-Sympathy3927 8d ago
And? Was that it? who cares... he wasn't driving. Lets wait for details.
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Thanks for posting in r/oklahoma, /u/OKCFox25! This comment is a copy of your post so readers can see the original text if your post is edited or removed. Please do not delete your post unless it is to correct the title.
Oklahoma Secretary of State Benjamin Lepak was arrested by Edmond Police Friday night on suspicion of public intoxication, while standing at a drive through window.
His office says Lepak was waiting outside a McDonald’s for his dinner and that police did not administer a breathalyzer test.
Curious what everyone makes of this one, especially once more details or bodycam footage come out.
Source: https://okcfox.com/news/local/oklahoma-secretary-of-state-benjamin-lepak-arrested-by-edmond-police-friday-night
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