Jones Says Stipe Scandal Will Be State's Largest

Republican State Chairman Gary Jones says the scandal swirling around former State Senator Gene Stipe and his southeastern Oklahoma associates will become the largest, and worst, in Oklahoma history when it's all said and done.

In a statement, Jones also questioned why state officials "are rarely the ones to uncover and expose wrong-doing...."

Here is Jones' statement:

When you compare the major scandals in Oklahoma history one has to question why Oklahoma’s Attorney General and State Auditor are rarely the ones to uncover and expose wrong-doing even though it is their responsibility to do so.

The Oklahoma County Commissioner scandal that was allowed to go unchallenged for decades was repeatedly ignored by local DAs, the State Attorney General as well as the State Auditor It wasn’t until the federal government got involved that anything was done about it. In addition to the feds cracking down the state auditor was also involved working closely with the feds to help clean up the mess. Federal Prosecutor Bill Price was a long time friend of the newly elected Auditor Tom Daxon. Daxon the only Republican ever elected to the position won a close election from the previous Auditor John Rogers who was involved in a scandal of his own.

The scandal and prosecution gained so much public attention that both Daxon in 1982 and Price in 1990 ran for Governor citing their roles in the prosecution as reasons as to why they should be elected. Both Daxon and Price were handily defeated in their effect. Daxon lost to longtime Lt. Governor George Nigh losing every county to the popular Nigh. Price on the other hand was defeated by David Walters who used illegal campaign funds to beat fellow Democrat Wes Watkins in a hard fought runoff.

While the commissioner scandal was extremely broad in scope and involved many people it may be relinquished to second place in the Oklahoma scandal ratings if you bring all the Stipe connected scandals under one tent. Ghost employees. health department, abstract monopoly scams, title insurance scams, bond financing, Rural Development Foundation, National Pet, American Products, Walt Roberts campaign, straw donors to the Governor, A.G., Auditor, Congressman Boren, the train deal, the bike path, Randy Green’s contract and who knows what else, as we don’t have an A.G. or Auditor investigating any of this still today.

Truth is I believe this is likely the biggest scandal in Oklahoma’s 100 year history, and it wasn’t the A.G. or the Auditor exposing it. It was a hand full of private citizens who put up with years of name calling, threats, and accusations, who did the research to shine the light on Stipe and his associates.

While Oklahoma’s State Auditor and Attorney General have literally hundreds of employees and they themselves are drawing 6 figured salaries it was private citizens who not only will never draw a single cent from their effects and who may never be known to the public that spent their time and own money working with the federal government that exposed this, what I believe the biggest scandal in Oklahoma history. You have only seen the tip on the iceberg. Sit back and wait as "the rest of the story" unfolds.

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