Coffee Defends Morgan's Mexico Trip

The Tulsa World's Barbara Hoberock reports that Senate President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee says a recent trip that top aide Fred Morgan took with a private prison lobbyist was not improper.

Morgan, Coffee's senior policy adviser and a former Republican House member, traveled to Mexico in December with Brett Robinson, a lobbyist for GEO, a private prison company that has a facility in Lawton.

Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, said that there is no validity to suggestions of wrongdoing surrounding the trip, adding that Morgan paid his own way: "They had a prior relationship before they were a lobbyist and a government official," Coffee said in an interview with the World. "I think people have personal relationships and they have lives outside of the Capitol building."

Robinson said the trip to Punta Mita, Mexico, involved Morgan and his wife, Page; Robinson and his wife, Karma, and another lobbyist and her husband.

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Brett Robinson Named To Head OMBA

The Oklahoma Malt Beverage Association (OMBA) has named Brett Robinson president and chief executive officer, succeeding Oliver J. Delaney who retired recently after serving 22 years in the position. Delaney will remain as a consultant to OMBA on legislative and government affairs matters.

Robinson will continue as managing director of Public Issue Advisers (PIA), an Oklahoma City-based government and political affairs consulting company. Jan Gilmore Loftis will serve as OMBA executive vice-president, providing day-to-day management of the association and Lesa Smaligo will provide legislative and government affairs’ consulting.

“OMBA members are pleased to announce Brett as our new president and chief executive officer and we look forward to working with him and his partners,” Jimmy Albert, OMBA board chairman said. “Oliver Delaney leaves some big shoes to fill but I have every confidence Brett and his team will do an outstanding job representing the interests of OMBA members statewide.”

The Oklahoma Malt Beverage Association was founded in 1938 as an advocacy association for Oklahoma beer distributors. OMBA safeguards the business interests of beer wholesalers collectively and individually and works to improve the business climate in which they conduct their daily operations. OMBA is affiliated with the National Beer Wholesalers Association, the Wholesale Beer Association Executives and the Beer Institute.

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