Thursday, March 29, 2007

Oklahoman Nails Jeff McMahan; Trips With Steve Phipps May Have Violated Ethics Rules

The Oklahoman's Tony Thornton reports today that Auditor & Inspector Jeff McMahan took three trips with controversial abstract company owner Steve Phipps (left) and that two of them, apparently paid for by Phipps, may have violated Ethics Commission rules.
Phipps is under investigation by a federal grand jury, in part for his alleged involvement in a campaign money-laundering conspiracy in which straw donors were used to funnel money into multiple campaigns, including McMahan's campaigns.
Thornton reports confirmation of the three trips two days after McMahan's spokeswoman, Terri Watkins, insisted he took only one trip with Phipps. Watkins then said, "It's not a matter of trying to hide things. It's my not asking the right questions."
Watkins said Phipps paid for a fishing trip to Lake Texoma in 2002 and a trip to a Biloxi, Mississippi casino in 2004. McMahan paid his own way on the third trip, to New Orleans in 2003, Watkins said. McMahan and his wife went with Phipps and his wife.
The trips are further evidence that McMahan's relationship to Phipps is much closer than McMahan has insisted; he's indicated he barely knows Phipps.
Thornton quotes Marilyn Hughes of the Ethics Commission as saying rules preclude an office-holder accepting anything of value from a person or entity the office-holder regulates. McMahan regulates abstractors.
For the complete story, go to http://www.newsok.com/ or pick up a copy of today's newspaper.

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