Oklahoma Secretary Of State Arrest In Edmond For Public Intoxication

Photo credit / OKC Fox

Oklahoma Secretary Of State Arrested For Public Intoxication In Edmond

The Oklahoma Secretary of State arrest is drawing new scrutiny after Benjamin Lepak was taken into custody Friday night on a complaint of public intoxication at an Edmond McDonald's.

Lepak, who serves as Oklahoma Secretary of State under Gov. Kevin Stitt, was arrested shortly before 11 p.m. Aug. 14 after an Edmond police officer responded to the restaurant on North Kelly Avenue. The officer reported observing multiple signs of impairment during the encounter. Lepak was later booked into the City of Edmond Jail. An arrest is an allegation, not a conviction. Lepak is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

Oklahoma Secretary Of State Arrest Follows Police Call

The incident began around 10:45 p.m. when an officer responded to the McDonald's and found Lepak standing near the drive-thru window.

The police report obtained by News 9 describes Lepak as having extremely slurred speech and an odor of alcohol on his breath. The officer also reported Lepak struggled to remove his identification from his wallet and had difficulty maintaining a coherent train of thought.

Lepak told the officer he had attended a church gathering with other fathers before going to the restaurant.

Police said he initially denied consuming alcohol but later told the officer he had consumed less than one beer because he did not finish it.

Police Report Details Conflicting Statements

Questions also arose during the encounter about how Lepak arrived at the restaurant.

Police said Lepak initially indicated he had driven to McDonald's before later saying he had not driven there. His vehicle was located in the restaurant parking lot.

Lepak offered to leave using an Uber, but the officer arrested him approximately 10 minutes into the encounter on the public intoxication complaint.

The Secretary of State's Office said Lepak was not given a breathalyzer test and intends to address the citation through the legal process in Edmond Municipal Court. Court information and municipal case procedures are maintained by the City of Edmond as the case moves forward.

Lepak was booked into the City of Edmond Jail following the arrest.

Attorney General Calls For Administrative Leave

The incident has also generated a political response at the state Capitol, with Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond calling on Stitt to place Lepak on administrative leave while the case is pending.

Lepak previously served as the governor's general counsel. Stitt appointed him to that position in 2024, with the Office of Governor Kevin Stitt announcing at the time that Lepak would serve as the governor's chief legal adviser. He later became interim Secretary of State in October 2025.

Lepak currently remains listed as Oklahoma's appointed Secretary of State.

The public intoxication allegation will now proceed through Edmond's municipal court system as Lepak responds to the charge.

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