Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A member of the board that oversees Oklahoma's 25 state colleges and universities is stepping down after facing criticism over his role representing drugmaker Johnson & Johnson in its legal fight with the state over the opioid crisis.
Attorney Andrew Lester announced his resignation on Tuesday from the nine-member Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, saying he didn't want the situation to become a distraction for his fellow regents.
Democratic state Rep. Collin Walke of Oklahoma City last week said he was "astounded" to learn Lester was working on behalf of Johnson & Johnson and called for his resignation.
Lester says in a statement that he had sought the opinion of the regents' legal counsel before agreeing to the work.
He was appointed by Republican Gov. Mary Fallin in 2016.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
