Republican operative Johnathan Hernandez was arrested on multiple sex crimes charges, Oklahoma's News 4 reported on Friday evening.
"The Chairman of the Oklahoma College Republicans has been arrested for lewd and indecent proposals or acts to a child and sodomy - victim under 16," Patrick Spencer reported.
He included a screenshot of a booking notice.
\u201c#breaking The Chairman of the Oklahoma College Republicans has been arrested for lewd and indecent proposals or acts to a child and sodomy - victim under 16. The Oklahoma GOP tells me we\u2019ll be getting a statement from the RNC later tonight. 1/2\u201d— Patrick Spencer (@Patrick Spencer) 1657323452
"In his Facebook bio Hernandez claims he works for the Oklahoma state senate. Ethics records show he was at one time paid to be Education Secretary Ryan Walter’s campaign manager," he reported.
Walter's campaign sought to distance himself from Hernandez in a statement from spokesperson Matt Langston.
"This is extremely disappointing and concerning. Hernandez worked less than 2 weeks for the campaign in an outreach role, but he did not adequately meet our needs," he said. "His role was terminated swiftly based on lack of performance and the campaign’s needs."
The state GOP also sought to distance itself.
“The Oklahoma Republican Party condemns all instances of sexual assault in the strongest possible terms. Victims deserve justice, and their assailants should be punished to the fullest extent of the law," Oklahoma GOP Chairman A.J. Ferate said in a statement.
"We did not have any prior knowledge of investigations into Mr. Hernandez and will let the judicial process play out," he added.
The report came two days after Hernandez bragged on Twitter about receiving the "Chairman's Championship Award" from RNC Chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel.
He also thanked Oklahoma Republican National Committeewoman Pam Pollard and Ferate for their "unwavering support."
"It means the world to me!" he said, with American flag and heart emoji.
\u201cI am truly humbled to have received the Chairman\u2019s Championship Award from @GOPChairwoman and the @GOP. Also, a huge thank you to @pampollard, @realAJFerate, and all other OK GOP leadership for their unwavering support. It means the world to me! \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\u2764\ufe0f\u201d— Jonathan Hernandez (@Jonathan Hernandez) 1657158524
\u201cThese young adults are the future and the present of the Republican Party!\n\nI really enjoyed meeting with representatives of the Oklahoma College Republicans to discuss the People's Agenda and how they can get involved in public policy.\u201d— Governor Kevin Stitt (@Governor Kevin Stitt) 1612816210
