Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters faces $5,000 fine, social media restrictions

Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters and the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Ethics Commission have signed an agreement to settle an investigation into Walters’ use of social media.

As part of the agreement, Walters must:

1. Not use “Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction” on his personal X account, and remove “Supt.” from the account.
2. Change the profile picture of that account to something other than his official State Superintendent picture.
3. Participate in social media training from the Ethics Commission.
4. Pay a $5,000 penalty.

According to the agreement, it will become effective once the Oklahoma Ethics Commission approves it.

Previous coverage: Oklahoma Ethics Commission pursues charges against Ryan Walters over campaign violations

The Commission began investigating Walters in late 2024 over his alleged use of state resources, including official letterhead and government social media accounts, to advocate for political candidates, specifically Donald Trump, against Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.

The commission cited multiple social media posts and an official statement that could be seen as supporting Trump’s campaign while using state resources, which is not allowed under ethics rules.

Grace Kim, spokesperson for Superintendent Walters, issued this statement Monday: 

“Superintendent Walters has always committed to following all guidelines and transparency in his political operations”

Read the agreement below.