Doerflinger Resigns After Police Records Detail Alleged Domestic Violence Complaints

Preston Doerflinger resigned as interim commissioner of the state Department of Health on Tuesday. 

Doerflinger is the 10th official to resign or be ousted since an investigation began into financial mismanagement at the department. 

Starting on Oct. 30, officials at nearly every top state department have been forced to leave their jobs.

Doerflinger's resignation came less than a day after published reports of police records show Doerflinger's ex-wife accused him of choking her twice during an argument at their Tulsa home in 2012. 

According to reports, Doerflinger was never arrested, and officers instead gave his wife pamphlet on domestic violence and brought Doerflinger to a hotel of his choosing for the night. The incident was not reported to a district attorney.

At the time, Doerflinger had already been appointed as the secretary of finance, administration and IT for a year. 

He took over as the interim commissioner at the state Department of Health in the fall. 

In a statement Gov. Mary Fallin said, "I was unaware of the personal situation involving Preston and his ex-wife almost six years ago. Mrs. Doerflinger did not contact my office about this matter. I take domestic violence very seriously, but will take Mrs. Doerflinger at her word that this matter was not a case of domestic violence."

In a later statement, Doerflinger's ex-wife initially filed a victim's statement but later asked for it to be retracted because she didn't want to endanger her then husband's job.