Osage Citizens Allege Corruption
Rancher Bud Beaston and District Attorney Mike Fisher (Osage and Pawnee Counties) may not agree on anything except that Osage County disputes have raged for a long time. Beaston says corruption in Osage County begins with zoning and planning efforts, extends to questionable land and building sales, construction of public facilities, and even elected officials intimidating citizens and ignoring votes. DA Fisher calls the allegations "baseless with no evidence to support it." Beaston counters he has the evidence and awaits lawful authority willing to hear the case.
Early in September Beaston sent a registered letter to Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond. He also sent copies of that letter to Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt, various additional officials including the US Department of Justice, and thirty legacy media outlets throughout the state. As of today, no one other than this reporter has called in response, Beaston said.
"I am disappointed, but not surprised. Our Osage Citizens built a web site titled, Osage County Corruption Facts.com based on years of research. It's not fancy, but it's factual and we have documents for every allegation. This stuff has been going on a long time," Beaston said.
The letter to AG Drummond begins graciously below :
Dear Mr. Drummond,
I knew your father Leslie Drummond. As you may recall, my father, Bud Beaston Sr was the owner of the Oklahoma Farriers College located in Sperry. I would take students to your ranch to shoe the horses while I was the instructor. For nearly two years I have been investigating serious misconduct in Osage County, focusing initially on the Planning and Zoning committee. This committee has engaged in unethical practices and deceiving the citizens while local county government officials, including the county commissioners have neglected their duty by ignoring the voice of the citizens and prioritizing tax revenue over public interest.
I possess evidence of lies fraud and misconduct by Planning and Zoning and other county officials from January 2023 through March of 2024. In August of 2023, I sought assistance from our sheriff who informed me he was investigating Mike Fisher, the District Attorney of Osage County. The sheriff directed me to the county courthouse and the county clerk's office. Upon further investigation, I uncovered the following disturbing issues.
#1 - Collusion and bid rigging involving the Kennedy Building in Pawhuska that could implicate prominent people being involved, along with the District Attorney compromising his position by agreeing to illicit arrangements.
#2 - Negligence leading to a death. A county employee tragically lost his life which has now led to a $30 million tort claim filed by the victim's family for this incompetence and neglect. County Commissioners permitting the use of county equipment for private contractors during and after work hours.
#3 – The district attorney and county commissioners ignored the vote of the Osage County citizens. First by an election then again by a straw poll and still proceeded with a 30-year, $10.4 million bond which is now costing $60,000 a month for the courthouse annex the citizens strongly opposed. Furthermore, county commissioners are wasting $4 million on a three story 112-year-old courthouse with a suspect brick foundation.
#4 - Election interference, false accusations, and defamation. The district attorney has falsely accused citizens on public forums and interfering with an election using social media and collaborating with county employees and Osage County GOP officials.
Gentner, you swore an oath to uphold the Constitution for the people, by the people. I have comprehensive records, audio, video, whistleblower testimonies and eyewitness accounts supporting these claims. The critical question is whether you will call for a grand jury investigation into the corruption pervasive in Osage County government, as we have no faith in our local Judges. I impress upon you to uphold your duty and address these issues as we are becoming weary of the run around. It is a sad day when citizens can no longer trust their local justice system.
I look forward to hearing from you in the next few days as I have many citizens coming on board to help resolve this unsavory and dangerous situation. We would be incredibly happy to schedule a meeting at your convenience to provide you with the evidence of all our allegations.
I trust that you will make the right decision to protect the citizens of Osage County and uphold justice for all.
The Department of Justice has a copy of this letter.
Thank you for your attention.
Bud Beaston
AG Fisher said, "Mr. Beaston did send me a copy of the letter. These are the same allegations regarding me and former-County Commissioners that have been made for several years now.
"The (allegations) began with the current sheriff who lost his recent election. They started in the form of a Bar complaint against me. That went nowhere. He tried to convene a grand jury against me and that went nowhere. He attempted to file charges against me. That went nowhere. (The Sheriff) attempted on several occasions – at least seven or eight – to raise these allegations against me and each one of them is baseless with no evidence to support it.
"So what Mr. Beaston is doing is heckling those same statements and allegations with absolutely no evidence to support them," Fisher concluded.
Phil Bacharach, Director of Communications for the office of the Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, in an email today said, "As a general policy we don’t comment on, or confirm the existence of, a potentially active investigation."
Beaston suggests that local officials are protected by those occupying higher office, but regardless, Osage County residents will not be intimidated or driven off the effort to force; accountability, transparency, justice, adherence to law and Constitutional Liberty in Osage County.
To see the videos and documentation, click link for Osage County Corruption Facts.com. The second tab is titled, OSAGE COUNTY DA:Â STATUTE OPPRESSION IN OFFICE & NEGLECT OF DUTY which illustrate the problem: How to bring law to a county when the county's top law enforcement officer is suspected of being lawless?
In that section, links to video (hosted on Rumble) includes a meeting notice, Town Hall Forum video, a PDF statement from an Under-Sheriff, link to the Oklahoma State Courts Network case file No. CJ-2023-00172, another PDF affidavit from Sheriff Virden on "criminal activity of DA Fisher," victim statements, state statutes and more. The video is not professionally produced. There is more detail that will be posted in the near future, Beaston said.
AG Drummond is only one of many members of the Drummond family known nationally for their success in Osage County. How much attention will AG Drummond, as Oklahoma's top officer of the law, and his office, the largest law organization in the state, give to these issues? Will he call a Grand Jury? Will Federal Investigators take the case?
This reporter will continue to follow and report developments.
Wish this reporter would have taken the Cinnabar and the airport corruption seriously twenty years ago.