Rick Brinkley

Rick Brinkley
Member of the Oklahoma Senate from the 34th district
In office November 2, 2010 – August 20, 2015
Preceded by	Randy Brogdon
Succeeded by	J.J. Dossett
Personal details
Born	July 25, 1961
Political party	Republican

Rick Brinkley is a minister and former Republican politician from Oklahoma who was a member of the Oklahoma Senate. He resigned his seat effective August 20, 2015 after he pleaded guilty to federal charges related to the alleged embezzlement of more than $1.8 million from his former employer.

Early life and career

Rick Brinkley attended Langston University, the Oral Roberts University School of Theology, and the Oklahoma State University School of Education.^[1] He was pastor of the Collinsville Community Church for ten years, and spent ten years working in television. He was the President/CEO of Eastern Oklahoma's Better Business Bureau from 1999 to 2011, and then its Chief Operating Officer. Brinkley was fired from Eastern Oklahoma's BBB in April 2015. ^{[2] [3]}

Political career

Brinkley entered politics when he was elected in 2010 by Oklahoma's Senate District 34 to serve in the Oklahoma Senate. In the Senate, he was the Vice-Chair of the Finance Committee, and a member of the Appropriations, Business and Commerce, and Health and Human Services Committees, as well as the Sub-Committee on Education.^[4] As a member of the Senate, he voted in favor of repealing the state's income tax and requiring proof of citizenship for Presidential candidates. He voted to define life as beginning at conception, and to require that physicians inform abortion patients of fetal heartbeat, but he failed to vote on a bill to impose restrictions on abortions.^[5] Brinkley was expected to succeed Sen. Brian Bingman as the next Oklahoma State Senate President Pro Tempore. ^[6]

Brinkley, in August 2015, initially resigned his seat effective December 31, 2015, citing personal reasons. The resignation came as Brinkley was being investigated by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation on accusations of embezzlement from the Better Business Bureau of Tulsa where he had formerly served as Chief Operating Officer.^[7] At the time of his resignation he was being sued by the BBB, with the organization alleging in court filings that Brinkley used the money for “his mortgage, pool cleaner, personal credit card invoices, and to support a hidden gambling habit, in an amount believed to be in excess of $1,800,000.”^[8] He resigned, effective immediately, nine days later upon agreeing with federal prosecutors to plead guilty to five wire fraud counts and one false income tax return count related to the embezzlement charges. ^[9]

References

1. "Rick Brinkley". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved 6 April 2012.
2. "Rick Brinkley".
3. "Senator Rick Brinkley - District 34". Retrieved 6 April 2012.
4. "Rick Brinkley". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved 6 April 2012.
5. "Rick Brinkley Key Votes". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved 6 April 2012.
6. "U.S. Attorney: State Sen. Rick Brinkley pleads guilty to fraud in $1.8 million scheme". Tulsa World. Retrieved 20 July 2015.
7. "State Senator Rick Brinkley To Resign At End Of Year". KTUL-TV. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
8. "Embezzlement allegations tarnish stellar reputation of state Sen. Rick Brinkley". Tulsa World. Retrieved 11 July 2015.
9. "Senator tenders resignation amid embezzlement accusations". The Oklahoman. Retrieved 20 July 2015.