OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Justin Humphrey, R-Lane, today commented on legislation he passed in 2021 that was designed to protect the private information of law enforcement officers, but which he feels now is potentially being misused.

House Bill 1643, signed into law in 2021, strengthened penalties against those who purposely try to bring harm to law enforcement officers and county officials by maliciously sharing their personal information online.

"I want Oklahomans to know I was proud to author this bill to prevent protesters such as Black Lives Matters and other groups from publicly displaying and releasing the personal information of law enforcement officers for the purpose of intimidating officers and their family members," Humphrey said. "This anti-doxing bill was written because of Norman Police Officers and their family members who were terrorized after their personal information was released with malicious intent. The bill was never meant to bully law-abiding whistleblowers who are simply sharing public documents. Whistleblowing is not doxing."

Humphrey said he is deeply concerned with reports that the law is apparently now being used by the sheriff in Cleveland County who a month ago allegedly ordered the arrest and jailing of a frequent critic. Charges were apparently dropped and the person was released.

"Just because something posted online is embarrassing doesn't automatically mean it's harassment," Humphrey said. "Our law enforcement officers absolutely deserve protection from terrorists who want to threaten, intimidate or harass them at their homes for simply doing their jobs. However, this is not a get-out-of-jail-free card to cover up wrongdoing no matter if it is law enforcement."

"If you abuse the anti-doxing act to go after a whistleblower, I think you are setting up yourself and the county you represent for a multi-million dollar lawsuit. I will fight to protect whistleblowers and to defend our great law enforcement officers. At the end of the day it angers me to hear reports of a law enforcement officer potentially violating and abusing a law written to protect himself."

Humphrey said he's joined with former Sen. Jerry Ellis, who worked to introduce Oklahoma's original Whistleblower Act, and with attorney Stan Ward, who assisted Humphrey with language to improve penalties for those who seek to retaliate against whistleblowers, in an effort to protect those who seek to tell the public the truth about corruption.