Sen. Wilson questions online ethics reports

State Sen. Jim Wilson has asked Attorney General Scott Pruitt to investigate online Ethics Commission reports.

Wilson noted the removal of an original contribution report from the State Ethics Commission’s website and the substitution of a different report.

In a letter sent to Pruitt on Monday, Wilson notes the original report, which was dated October 30, 2012, had incorrectly listed the name of an organization contributing to Friends of Wayne Shaw for Senate 2012.  Subsequently, a completely different document was substituted for the form. 

The new document deleted a contribution listing from the first form and shows an equivalent amount listed as contributions of $50 or less in the aggregate.

“First of all, any errors in the original report should have been corrected with an amended report.  The ability to remove an actual report and replace it with a backdated ‘new’ original report implicates complicity from the Ethics Commission staff or at least a breach of security,” said Wilson, D-Tahlequah.  “The second consideration is knowingly and falsely claiming the $500 amount came from aggregating contributions of $50 or less.”

Along with the letter, Wilson forwarded the original document as well as the “new” original report.“I’m asking the Attorney General to investigate this because he is the chief law enforcement officer for the State of Oklahoma.  Any explanation or justification by the Ethics Commission based on an internal investigation would be suspect,” Wilson said.