Piatt Avoided Challenge By Returning Phillips Cash
House Majority Floor Leader Greg Piatt apparently avoided a challenge to his leadership position yesterday by agreeing to return a $5,000 campaign donation from controversial Texas businessman Bradford Phillips, Republican sources tell The McCarville Report Online.
Piatt, at the urging of new House Speaker Chris Benge, agreed over the weekend to return the donation after earlier announcing he would keep it. Had he not done so, the sources say, an effort to challenge his continued role as majority floor leader would have come at Monday's GOP House Caucus meeting. The effort was underway Monday morning when word circulated that Piatt had agreed to return the donation.
The donation, and others from those associated with interests of the Phillips family, had been criticized by some GOP House members because Piatt accepted the donations last year after sponsoring an amendment affecting insurance companies. The amendment would have benefited the interests of Bradford Phillips and his father, Gene Phillips, controversial figure who was involved in the scandal that toppled former Insurance Commissioner Carroll Fisher.
Piatt, from Ardmore, told The Oklahoman's Michael McNutt that Benge encouraged him to return the donation over the weekend. Benge told him that for the "sake of moving forward" he should return it. Piatt acknowledged there "was a problem with perception by our members. But there was nothing unethical or illegal about anything that was done."
Piatt told McNutt he likely won't accept future donations from Phillips because it is a "lightning-rod issue."
Piatt, at the urging of new House Speaker Chris Benge, agreed over the weekend to return the donation after earlier announcing he would keep it. Had he not done so, the sources say, an effort to challenge his continued role as majority floor leader would have come at Monday's GOP House Caucus meeting. The effort was underway Monday morning when word circulated that Piatt had agreed to return the donation.
The donation, and others from those associated with interests of the Phillips family, had been criticized by some GOP House members because Piatt accepted the donations last year after sponsoring an amendment affecting insurance companies. The amendment would have benefited the interests of Bradford Phillips and his father, Gene Phillips, controversial figure who was involved in the scandal that toppled former Insurance Commissioner Carroll Fisher.
Piatt, from Ardmore, told The Oklahoman's Michael McNutt that Benge encouraged him to return the donation over the weekend. Benge told him that for the "sake of moving forward" he should return it. Piatt acknowledged there "was a problem with perception by our members. But there was nothing unethical or illegal about anything that was done."
Piatt told McNutt he likely won't accept future donations from Phillips because it is a "lightning-rod issue."
Labels: Bradford Phillips, Chris Benge, Gene Phillips, Greg Piatt
posted by Mike McCarville @ 9:07 AM
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