Court brief alleges Fallin consulted psychic, kissed trooper

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- An attorney for Lt. Gov. Mary Fallin raised questions today about the relationship of Mrs. Fallin's estranged husband and the couple's 11-year-old daughter as a judge heard testimony to determine who should have temporary custody of the Fallins' two children.
The Fallins are embroiled in a divorce case that has brought allegations Mrs. Fallin had an affair with her state trooper bodyguard. The trooper has denied an affair with the lieutenant governor.
Mrs. Fallin, who filed for divorce three weeks ago, has charged that her husband mentally and physically abused her and had used drugs.
Her attorney, Lana Tyree, referred to a court-appointed guardian's report she said included a passage about a ''unnatural relationship'' between Dr. Joe Fallin and the couple's daughter.
The guardian, attorney Phil Tucker, said the actual quotation in his report was ''emotionally inappropriate relationship'' between Fallin and the daughter. He said the quote was made by an acquaintance of the couple during an interview.
Tucker said that while he was concerned, he had no evidence of the validity of the quotation.
Earlier the judge denied requests from Ms. Tyree for a continuance and for a gag order about testimony about the couple's two children.
Ms. Tyree sought the continuance so she could talk to witnesses about allegations that Mrs. Fallin had consulted with a psychic or fortune teller about the couple's trouble and that she was either paranoid or unstable.
A private investigator trailing Mrs. Fallin saw her and a trooper kissing on the lips, her husband alleges in court briefs.
The brief also alleged Mrs. Fallin apparently consulted with a fortune teller or psychic as the couple's marriage deteriorated, the Tulsa World reported.
Fallin's attorney has alleged that Mrs. Fallin was having an affair with the trooper, who served as a bodyguard.
Greg Allen resigned from the Highway Patrol amid allegations of unprofessional conduct but denied having an affair. He is seeking reinstatement.
Mrs. Fallin told a judge that the alleged affair was a rumor spread by her husband. Her attorney also issued a statement saying there was no affair.
The brief filed by Fallin on Tuesday said he had noticed ''strange and flirting behavior'' by his wife with Allen which led him to suspect an affair.
''She also would consistently return hours after her events were concluded when accompanied by Trooper Allen,'' the brief stated.
The brief alleges that on Aug. 15, the two left a Cleveland County event and drove to the park area of Lake Thunderbird. A private investigator observed them walking together.
''The entire time they were holding hands, and stopped at one moment romantically kissing each other on the lips,'' the brief states.
The brief also alleges that Mrs. Fallin apparently had consulted with a ''fortune teller or possibly a purported 'psychic.' '' Fallin questioned his wife's stability based on notes on the consultations that he took from a briefcase in their home, the brief says.
Fallin, an Oklahoma City dentist, maintains that he should be awarded sole custody of the children because he has been more involved in their day-to-day lives.

Republican, Demo chiefs differ on Fallin case

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- An Oklahoma Highway Patrol bodyguard denies having had an affair with Lt. Gov. Mary Fallin and says he plans to seek reinstatement despite resigning last week for ''unprofessional conduct.''
Trooper Greg Allen also told Oklahoma City television station KWTV on Tuesday he became ''a trusted confidante'' of the lieutenant governor, but had a ''professional relationship'' with Mrs. Fallin.
Gary James, Allen's attorney, told The Daily Oklahoman that his client, who is married and has two children, admits holding Mrs. Fallin while she cried on his shoulder and kissing her in a platonic way, but insists nothing improper occurred.
''They became very good friends. Greg was Mary's confidante,'' James said. ''I guess as a security guard you're not supposed to be a friend.''
Mrs. Fallin, a Republican who was elected to a second term in November and has been touted as a possible GOP gubernatorial candidate, has filed for divorce from her husband, dentist Joe Fallin. At a hearing last week, her relationship with Allen was described as ''an affair'' by Fallin's attorney.
Meanwhile, Democratic Party officials said they will not seek the resignation or impeachment of Mrs. Fallin, even if it is established she had an affair with her state bodyguard.
Pat Hall, executive director of the state Democratic Party, accused Republicans on Tuesday of hypocrisy on the issue of sex and privacy of public officials.
Quineta Wylie, state Republican chairwoman, responded to Hall by drawing a distinction between Mrs. Fallin's divorce case and the sex-and-perjury impeachment inquiry of Democratic President Clinton.
''The accusations against Mary Fallin came out in a divorce proceeding,'' Ms. Wylie said. ''We all know how false and outrageous and wild accusations often are during divorce proceedings.''
She added that if ''this accusation is true -- that a state official had an affair with a state employee -- it is a very serious matter. But I think we need to reserve judgement until we know all the facts.''
''I just think Ms. Wylie has dodged the question,'' Hall said. ''Mary Fallin's private life is private. The Oklahoma Democratic Party will not demand a witchhunt or star chamber inquisition into Mrs. Fallin's private life. We will not ask her to resign or ask her to be impeached.''
Their statements came as sources said Allen's resignation last week for ''unprofessional conduct'' was linked to his relationship with Mrs. Fallin.
But they said they did not know if sex was involved in the friendship, as her husband's attorney has contended.
''The only two people who know the answer to that question are the lieutenant governor and the trooper,'' Gov. Frank Keating said.
''It's just horrid,'' Keating, also a Republican, said of the developments. ''It's an agonizing personal tragedy for her and her family. There will be a lot of pyrotechnics, accusations and charges as there always is in a messy, nasty divorce proceeding.''
The accusation of an affair came after Mrs. Fallin told a judge her husband had used drugs and physically abused her.
Keating said he wants the Department of Public Safety to make a public accounting of any ''unprofessional conduct'' by the trooper, who was not identified.
On Monday, Public Safety Commissioner Bob Ricks, in a statement, said rumors surfaced in early September about unprofessional conduct between a trooper and the lieutenant governor.
The bodyguard was one of several members of the DPS security detail assigned to protect the governor and lieutenant governor.
Ricks' statement said the trooper first denied the allegations, but was again questioned late last month and ''admitted to unprofessional conduct and was permitted to resign. That resignation was accepted last week. His admission did not indicate that sexual activity was involved.''
Ricks was out of town and the Department of Public Safety declined further comment on Tuesday.
Scott Watkins, deputy commissioner, said Ricks would meet with the governor on Thursday and then respond to further questions from reporters, ''as is appropriate under the law.''
Officials with knowledge of the DPS inquiry, who asked not to be identified, said the relationship between the trooper and Mrs. Fallin was the source of the ''unprofessional conduct'' that led to the trooper's resignation.
But they said they did not know if sex was involved. ''There was a comment that the lieutenant governor had been spending more time with the trooper than she has with her husband,'' one source said.
Lana Tyree, Mrs. Fallin's attorney, said Monday the lieutenant governor would not comment further.
''Out of legitimate concern for the privacy and welfare of her minor children through the Christmas holidays, Lieutenant Governor Mary Fallin, having denied the allegations, will not respond to or debate these issues in the media and will make no further public comment,'' Ms. Tyree said in a statement. Mrs. Fallin, 43, and her husband have two children, ages 11 and 8.
In court, Mrs. Fallin had said the allegations of an affair with a bodyguard were a rumor started by her husband. District Judge Jerry Bass prevented Fallin's attorney from pursuing questions about any alleged affair.
Fallin has denied any drug abuse or physical abuse of his wife. In response to a question from his wife's attorney, he said he had hired a private investigator to follow her.
Another hearing in the divorce case is set for Monday.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- One of Lt. Gov. Mary Fallin's Highway Patrol bodyguards has resigned after being accused of having an affair with her.

The accusation was made by her husband's lawyer during divorce proceedings last week.

Trooper Greg Allen denied having an affair with Mrs. Fallin and plans to seek reinstatement, his lawyer, Gary James, told The Daily Oklahoman for a story in Wednesday's editions.

James said Allen, who is married and has two children, admits holding Mrs. Fallin while she cried on his shoulder and admits kissing her in a platonic way, but insists there was nothing improper about their relationship.

"They became very good friends. Greg was Mary's confidante," James said. "I guess as a security guard you're not supposed to be a friend."

Allen first was asked about rumors of the affair Nov. 30 and then unexpectedly called into a meeting last week with two patrol officials, who asked him to resign Dec. 1, James said.

A resignation letter was already prepared and Allen was told he needed to make a decision before he left the meeting, James said. He complied, but sent the patrol a letter Friday asking that he be reinstated, James told the newspaper.

Mrs. Fallin, a Republican who was elected to a second term in November and has been touted as a possible GOP gubernatorial candidate, has filed for divorce from her husband, dentist Joe Fallin. At a hearing last week, her relationship with the trooper was described as "an affair" by Fallin's attorney.

Rumors surfaced in early September about her and a member of her security detail, Public Safety Commissioner Bob Ricks said.

The trooper first denied the allegations, but after questioning again in November, he "admitted to unprofessional conduct and was permitted to resign," Ricks said in a statement Monday. "His admission did not indicate that sexual activity was involved."

Ricks didn't elaborate on the nature of the unprofessional conduct, and his office said he was out of town Tuesday.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- An Oklahoma Highway Patrol bodyguard for Lt. Gov. Mary Fallin has resigned after admitting "unprofessional conduct," says Public Safety Commissioner Bob Ricks.

Mrs. Fallin filed for divorce last week, accusing her husband, dentist Joe Fallin, of using drugs and physically abusing her. At a hearing, Fallin's attorney raised an allegation about the lieutenant governor having an affair with a bodyguard.

In his statement Monday, Ricks said rumors surfaced in early September about "alleged unprofessional conduct between a member of the executive security detail and the lieutenant governor."

The statement said the trooper first denied the allegations, but was again questioned in late November and "admitted to unprofessional conduct and was permitted to resign. That resignation was accepted last week. His admission did not indicate that sexual activity was involved."

The trooper was not identified and Ricks was reported unavailable for further discussion of the matter.

Lana Tyree, Mrs. Fallin's attorney, later issued a statement saying the lieutenant governor would have no comment.

"Out of legitimate concern for the privacy and welfare of her minor children through the Christmas holidays, Lieutenant Governor Mary Fallin, having denied the allegations, will not respond to or debate these issues in the media and will make no further public comment," the statement said.

At last week's hearing, District Judge Jerry Bass prevented Fallin's attorney from pursuing questions about an alleged affair.

Fallin has denied any drug abuse or physical abuse of his wife. He said he had hired a private investigator to follow her.

Another hearing in the divorce case is set for 1:30 p.m. Dec. 14 before Judge Larry Jones.