Rep. Ajay Pittman and longtime legislative aide Trena Byas were charged with three felony counts related to the alleged forgery of a $2,500 check this morning. Pittman resigned her seat, pleaded guilty and will receive a seven-year deferred sentence, according to a press release from Attorney General Gentner Drummond.
Pittman’s attorney, Ron Jones, declined to comment. Byas, who served as the secretary for the National Black Caucus of State Legislators through at least November, did not appear in court Wednesday.
According to the allegations outlined in Drummond’s filing, “the false check had been altered and created” by Byas “at the direction of” Pittman, who submitted it to the Oklahoma Ethics Commission under terms of a settlement agreement for misuse of campaign funds.
“The instant messages and emails sent between Pittman and Byas on [June 12, 2025] and the subsequent delivery of fraudulent documents to the OEC do, to your affiant’s knowledge and belief, establish evidence that Ayisha ‘Ajay’ Pittman and Trena Byas conspired to violate Oklahoma law,” agent Eric VanGurp wrote in his probable cause affidavit filed in the case.
The felony charges facing Pittman and Byas are:
- Conspiracy to commit a felony;
- Forgery in the second degree; and
- Violating the Oklahoma Computer Crimes Act.
Pittman (D-OKC) texted friends and supporters Tuesday night to say she would be resigning from office Wednesday. She did not mention the potential for criminal charges, which has loomed over her for more than a year.
“It has been one of the greatest honors of my life to represent District 99. I served with purpose, heart, and a deep commitment to our community, and that will never change,” Pittman said in a message to supporters. “I’m closing one chapter of public service, but I’m excited for what the future may hold.”
In October, state agents executed search warrants at Pittman’s home and her State Capitol office on the same day the Oklahoma Ethics Commission filed a lawsuit accusing her of fraud. The suit alleges that Pittman represented a “not genuine” $2,500 check to the regulatory body, and it accuses her of submitting a fabricated letter in support of her claim that old campaign records had been “destroyed by water damage.”
The check in question reflected an attempt to claim credit for a campaign donation by the Osage Nation. As the allegations against Pittman took shape last year, she resigned as chairwoman of the Oklahoma Legislative Black Caucus, was suspended from the House Democratic Caucus and was removed from committees by the House speaker.
“It’s not a decision I made lightly, but it was done with clarity, peace, and pride in how I served,” Pittman said in her message. “Adhering to the advice of my counsel, I’ve decided not to fight these political battles in the public eye.”
Pittman signed a settlement agreement with the Ethics Commission in May 2024 to address allegations that she had spent nearly $18,000 of campaign funds for her personal use. A year later, the commission said Pittman had failed to make required repayments and voted to authorize the civil lawsuit against her.
Byas previously worked as a legislative assistant for Pittman’s mother, Anastasia, who served 12 years in the House and Senate. She served as deputy treasurer for Anastasia Pittman’s 2014 Senate campaign committee, but she was never registered as a formal leader of Ajay Pittman’s campaign committees.
Since 2018, Byas had worked as the executive assistant to Sen. Mary Boren (D-Norman).
“She is no longer an employee with the Senate,” Alex Gerszewski, communications director for the Senate president pro tempore’s office, said of Byas on Wednesday. “She resigned effective Jan. 9.”
In the probable cause affidavit filed in Oklahoma County District Court on Wednesday, Pittman was accused of asking Byas to alter the check in a series of messages dated June 12, 2025.
“Good morning I’m not sure you are awake but I need a favor if you are. I sent you and (sic) email please call me so I can explain,” Pittman allegedly wrote to Byas in messages between 7:56 a.m. and 8:52 a.m. “The sovereign check would need to be for $2500 dollars on the date of 1/27/25, to the same account and from the same person. (…) The bank statement would just need a deposit line item for $3,862 from OU financial and on Jan. 7, 2025 and then another item added for the check on Jan. 27, 2025 for the $2,500 the other transactions could be blacked out. But, the final balance would have to match.”
At 9:49 a.m., Byas allegedly responded to Pittman: “Will this work? MsTrena.”
Pittman allegedly responded” “Absolutely. Thank you. Sent.”
VanGurp wrote in his affidavit that Byas admitted to creating the check for Pittman.
“Byas stated it appeared to her that Pittman had a deadline to meet concerning the check,” VanGurp, the investigator, wrote in his affidavit. “Byas said Pittman had sent her an image of a Sovereign Bank check through email. Byas said during a telephone call with Pittman, Pittman told her she needed the check that she had sent to Byas via email, altered to match the check Pittman was waiting for from the bank. Byas said Pittman supplied instructions for how she needed the check altered.”
Court records indicate that Pittman appeared in front of Oklahoma County District Court Judge Susan Stallings on Wednesday morning and waived her right to an arraignment and preliminary hearing.
Last week, District Court Judge Anthony Bonner recused from Pittman’s civil case, which was assigned to Judge Brent Dishman. Bonner wrote in his transfer order that he “knows” Pittman, who has represented HD 99 in northeast Oklahoma City since winning the 2018 election.
“I’m grateful beyond words for your love, support, prayers, and belief in me through it all,” Pittman said in her message Tuesday night. “Please continue to keep my family and I in your prayers as we navigate our next chapter of service. I’ll share more when the time is right.”
Pittman has received a number of accolades and distinctions during her time in office, and her Linktree page designates her as a speaker, influencer and political commentator. She is also listed as a “consultant” for The Pittman Group, and her rate card offers social media posts starting at $150, as well as a “branded training or workshop” option ranging between $2,500 for an hour and $4,000 for 90 minutes.
Pittman announced her resignation formally Wednesday morning through a Substack post, which included a link to a four-page PDF outlining her “legislative record and community impact.”
“I believe stepping aside allows my district to be served without distraction,” Pittman wrote in the announcement. “Leadership is not only about holding office, but it’s also about knowing when to close a chapter with grace and clarity.”
The PDF concluded with Pittman writing: “Service is the price you pay for the space you occupy.
Pittman settles ethics suit, agrees not seek office for 15 years
In an “agreed upon judgement” dated Tuesday but stamped Wednesday, Pittman also settled her civil lawsuit with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission by admitting to several of the allegations in the suit and agreeing to pay a civil penalty of $17,141.78.
In the agreement, Pittman admitted she “personally and unlawfully converted over $17,858.52 worth of campaign contributions for personal living expenses” and “personally failed to report and account for over $50,000 worth of campaign funds and converted said funds for personal living expenses.” The agreement also includes a list of places Pittman spent her campaign funds, ranging from WalMart and Costco to American Airlines and the Cruise Line Industry Association.
She also admitted to drafting or “directing” the drafting of the fake building manager letter submitted to the Ethics Commission and to “fraudulently misrepresent[ing]” a cashier’s check.
Under the Ethics Commission agreement, Pittman also agreed to resign from her elected office, repay $17,141.78 due under her May 2024 settlement agreement, comply with restitution required in her criminal case and not run for office in the state of Oklahoma within the next 15 years.
“This case involved intentional misconduct and deception, not reporting errors or technical mistakes,” Ethics Commission executive director Lee Anne Bruce Boone said in a press release. “Campaign funds are not personal funds, and when an elected official deliberately abuses that trust, the commission will pursue every appropriate remedy available under the law.”
Read the probable cause affidavit
(Update: This article was updated 15 minutes after its publication at 12:36 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 28, to include reference to Pittman’s plea agreement. It was updated again at 1:28 p.m. to include details about Pittman’s new settlement with the Ethics Commission. It was updated again at 4:05 p.m. to add additional information.)
