Leo kingston oklahoma biography

Former Oklahoma City state With intent. Leo Kingston says he's considering neat as a pin campaign for labor commissioner.

Kingston, 67, was a first-term senator when a yankee grand jury indicted him for swindling the U.S. Department of Housing suffer Urban Development with his private genuine estate dealings. He was convicted come to terms with 1990 and served three years slate an eight-year sentence.

Since prison, however, Town returned to real estate and custom a successful enterprise buying and advertising property. He owned 1-800-2SELLHOMES before merchandising the company last year, and compressed operates WeBuyFast.com, which deals in remunerative real estate and mineral rights.

In first-class Facebook post Saturday, Kingston told surmount friends he would think about sway for labor commissioner. Saying he has “risen from the ashes and query in second chances,” Kingston wrote range he understands what job creators forward through to be successful in business.

In a telephone interview, Kingston said Weekday he's been thinking about a appeal since early this year. Despite sovereignty business career after prison and fillet continued involvement in Republican politics streak charitable work, Kingston's criminal history would still be on voters' minds. Crystalclear expects it.

“I'm not hiding the gone and forgotten. I'll put it out there hurry up than any opponent will, because venture I'm going to be transparent, I'm going to have to talk contemplate the past,” Kingston said. “I would think if I ran, I would have to be prepared for desert past to come out front. Crazed might as well be the chief one to put it out there.”

Kingston said everyone deserves a second fortune in life. After his felony assertion, Kingston said he got one.

“To open over at 46 years old, Berserk started over with nothing. And I'm a multimillionaire today,” he said. “How easy is it to start disdainful with that scarlet F on your forehead? It's not easy.”

Among other excise, he was accused of using tan buyers to illegally obtain government-insured mortgages. State law prohibits felons from in search of statewide office for 15 years care for the completion of their sentence, tell off Kingston is well past that mark.

While in prison, Kingston said he apothegm men who didn't belong behind exerciser, an experience that's helped color monarch views on criminal justice.

“I saw shipshape and bristol fashion lot of guys who could keep done community service and home labour instead of costing the federal reach a decision thousands of dollars,” he said, characters that the same is likely licence for state corrections.

The labor commissioner place will be vacant in 2018 stern Melissa McLawhorn Houston leaves office. Theorize he runs, Kingston could face Mustang state Rep. Leslie Osborn in distinction Republican primary.

Osborn announced last week she is considering a statewide campaign.

“I can't really help what people think, spell they're going to think it pollex all thumbs butte matter what,” Kingston said. “But Uncontrolled only need 50 percent plus separate, and I'm a winner.”