Ralph Allan Lee Shortey (born February 16, 1982) is an American convicted sex offender and former politician and businessman.

[2] In September 2017, a federal grand jury in Oklahoma City charged Shortey on four counts, one of which he pleaded guilty to in November 2017, with an agreement that the others would be dropped.

He spent a portion of his childhood on the Rosebud Indian Reservation in Grass Mountain, South Dakota, before moving to Oklahoma.

"[6] The Associated Press noted that court records showed that Shortey "had some past financial difficulties dating back to before his time in the Senate, including an eviction, debt-related lawsuits and foreclosure proceedings.

[9] In the November general election, Shortey defeated Democratic nominee Randy Rose, a retired Oklahoma City firefighter.

[19] Video from the arrest released by Moore police show Shortey in the motel room wearing a T-shirt that reads, "now go make me a sandwich."

[24] A number of Republican and Democratic Oklahoma officials called upon Shortey to step down, including Governor Mary Fallin.

[27] Shortey was jailed immediately after pleading guilty on November 30 and faced a sentence of at least 10 years in prison, with Judge Timothy D. DeGiusti to decide in 2018.

[29] In June 2018, prosecutors revealed in a sentencing memorandum that Shortey had sex twice with the victim in the year before they were found together at the hotel.

Prosecutors also informed the judge that they would seek full restitution from Shortey for the victim's losses, including the cost of any care.

[6] Duane Chapman ("Dog the Bounty Hunter") and his wife Beth supported legislation introduced by Shortey to regulate the bounty-hunting industry.

[21] In response, Shortey explained his intent was to deter the use of human embryonic stem cells in research by private companies.

[37] In February 2017, Shortey came under public criticism for trying to retighten state drug laws which Oklahoma voters had voted to loosen in November 2016.