Lamons Seeks More Ethics Commission Funding
UPDATED ~ State Rep. Lucky Lamons today announced he has filed legislation to increase the Ethics Commission's budget by 70 percent.
Lamons' bill will increase the watchdog agency's funding by$369,000 per year to hire additional staff and pay for new technology.
The Ethics Commission, which enforces state campaign finance laws, currently has an annual budget of just $518,000.
"In order for the public to trust their elected officials, we must be monitored by an agency that has some autonomy from the Legislature," said Lamons, D-Tulsa. "We must fund this agency and give them the resources necessary to oversee the financial transactions conducted by elected officials' campaigns."
The $369,000 increase includes money for the following improvements:*$75,000 for increased operational expenses;*$37,000 to double the agency's office space;*$26,000 for information/technology improvements;*$45,000 for performance increases; and*$186,000 to hire three new employees - a training specialist ($52,000), a new auditor/investigator ($56,000) and a new attorney($78,000).
Lamons said he will be a "strong supporter" of an ethics reform bill filed by Rep. David Dank (R-Oklahoma City), but said his legislation will complement Dank's efforts.
Dank's legislation would ban in-session legislative campaign contributions, prohibit shadowy transfers of campaign funds between political action committees and ban the use of campaign funds for personal use.
"I plan to support Representative Dank's sweeping ethics reform package, but for us to implement those new recommendations, it is imperative to increase the Ethics Commission's staff and appropriation," Lamons said."I believe there is a very good chance of new ethics reforms becoming law this year with bipartisan support." The Democratic lawmaker said more funding is imperative now that questions have been raised about Republican House Speaker Lance Cargill and his leadership team concerning contributions intended for the state party that ended up with the Oklahoma County party and were spent on key House races. Late today, Dank issued this statement: "While I appreciate Representative Lamons support for my comprehensive ethics reform measure and look forward to working with him to win its passage, I think it is inappropriate to point to any purported past violations when discussing additional funding for the State Ethics Commission. The issue is not partisan, but simply a matter of open and good government. Democrats, as well as Republicans, have been the target of ethics investigations in the past and several members of the Democrat leadership team were guilty of funneling personal campaign monies into a phony political action committee that slandered Republicans—including me—in the last two general elections. This Win Pac political action committee was founded by former Democrat Speaker of the House Larry Adair and funded in the last general election by virtually the entire Democrat leadership team, the Oklahoma Education Association and a host of other Democrat operatives and political action committees. So, I would suggest that we leave any of this speculation about past violations out of the discussion and concentrate on what we can do to assure proper conduct in the future." The status of such a probe by the Ethics Commission is unknown because the agency's investigations are kept secret by law. However, a former Republican state lawmaker, Ray Vaughn of Edmond, confirmed that he visited the Ethics Commission office on Friday. Vaughn is now an Oklahoma County commissioner. His spokesman, Rick Buchanan, said that would be the only comment Vaughn would have regarding the visit. Vaughn said earlier that he had given $5,000 to the state party and was disturbed to learn that it went to the county party instead. Republican Party Chairman Gary Jones also confirmed that he visited the Ethics Commission office Friday. Jones noted earlier that the Ethics Commission was raising questions about the contributions being diverted from the state to the county. Although several checks were written to the state, records showed that they ended up in the Oklahoma County Republican Party's coffer.
Lamons' bill will increase the watchdog agency's funding by$369,000 per year to hire additional staff and pay for new technology.
The Ethics Commission, which enforces state campaign finance laws, currently has an annual budget of just $518,000.
"In order for the public to trust their elected officials, we must be monitored by an agency that has some autonomy from the Legislature," said Lamons, D-Tulsa. "We must fund this agency and give them the resources necessary to oversee the financial transactions conducted by elected officials' campaigns."
The $369,000 increase includes money for the following improvements:*$75,000 for increased operational expenses;*$37,000 to double the agency's office space;*$26,000 for information/technology improvements;*$45,000 for performance increases; and*$186,000 to hire three new employees - a training specialist ($52,000), a new auditor/investigator ($56,000) and a new attorney($78,000).
Lamons said he will be a "strong supporter" of an ethics reform bill filed by Rep. David Dank (R-Oklahoma City), but said his legislation will complement Dank's efforts.
Dank's legislation would ban in-session legislative campaign contributions, prohibit shadowy transfers of campaign funds between political action committees and ban the use of campaign funds for personal use.
"I plan to support Representative Dank's sweeping ethics reform package, but for us to implement those new recommendations, it is imperative to increase the Ethics Commission's staff and appropriation," Lamons said."I believe there is a very good chance of new ethics reforms becoming law this year with bipartisan support." The Democratic lawmaker said more funding is imperative now that questions have been raised about Republican House Speaker Lance Cargill and his leadership team concerning contributions intended for the state party that ended up with the Oklahoma County party and were spent on key House races. Late today, Dank issued this statement: "While I appreciate Representative Lamons support for my comprehensive ethics reform measure and look forward to working with him to win its passage, I think it is inappropriate to point to any purported past violations when discussing additional funding for the State Ethics Commission. The issue is not partisan, but simply a matter of open and good government. Democrats, as well as Republicans, have been the target of ethics investigations in the past and several members of the Democrat leadership team were guilty of funneling personal campaign monies into a phony political action committee that slandered Republicans—including me—in the last two general elections. This Win Pac political action committee was founded by former Democrat Speaker of the House Larry Adair and funded in the last general election by virtually the entire Democrat leadership team, the Oklahoma Education Association and a host of other Democrat operatives and political action committees. So, I would suggest that we leave any of this speculation about past violations out of the discussion and concentrate on what we can do to assure proper conduct in the future." The status of such a probe by the Ethics Commission is unknown because the agency's investigations are kept secret by law. However, a former Republican state lawmaker, Ray Vaughn of Edmond, confirmed that he visited the Ethics Commission office on Friday. Vaughn is now an Oklahoma County commissioner. His spokesman, Rick Buchanan, said that would be the only comment Vaughn would have regarding the visit. Vaughn said earlier that he had given $5,000 to the state party and was disturbed to learn that it went to the county party instead. Republican Party Chairman Gary Jones also confirmed that he visited the Ethics Commission office Friday. Jones noted earlier that the Ethics Commission was raising questions about the contributions being diverted from the state to the county. Although several checks were written to the state, records showed that they ended up in the Oklahoma County Republican Party's coffer.
Labels: David Dank, Ethics Commission, Gary Jones, Lucky Lamons, Ray Vaughn
posted by Mike McCarville @ 8:43 AM
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