Republican lawmaker accused of embellishing military service
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) —
A Republican Oklahoma legislator facing accusations from colleagues that he wore military service decorations that he didn't earn, including a Purple Heart, has been removed from the membership rolls of a national veterans group.
Disabled American Veterans notified Rep. Mike Ritze of Broken Arrow this week that he had not documented his eligibility for membership and was being removed from its rolls.
"I ask that you remove any reference to being a member, honorary or otherwise, from your bio or any other document which suggests that you are a member of DAV," the group's National Adjutant J. Marc Burgess wrote to Ritze in the May 7 letter.
Ritze, 69, had claimed he was awarded an honorary membership in the group, but Burgess said the group's constitution prohibits such memberships. The chapter Ritze said granted him membership hasn't been active for 20 years, said DAV Inspector General Edward Hartman.
An osteopathic doctor from the Tulsa suburb of Broken Arrow, Ritze has faced criticism recently from two of his Republican colleagues, Reps. Kevin McDugle and Josh West, both combat veterans, who accused him of wearing military decorations he hasn't earned, including a Purple Heart.
A member of the House's conservative Platform Caucus, Ritze faced criticism last year when he suggested tens of thousands of non-English speaking students in public schools be turned over to U.S. immigration officials as a cost-saving measure.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/republican-lawmaker-faces-questions-over-military-193506730.html
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