Democrats Face 'Culture Of Corruption' Issue

WASHINGTON (AP) ~ The Obama administration and the new Congress are quickly handing over to Republicans the same "culture of corruption" issue that Democrats used so effectively against the GOP before coming to power.

Freshman Sen. Roland Burris (pictured), D-Ill., is only the latest embarrassment.

Senate Democrats accepted Burris because they believed what he told them: He was clean. Burris now admits he tried to raise money for Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, who authorities say sought to sell President Barack Obama's former Senate seat.

"The story seems to be changing day by day," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., said Wednesday.

The political mess for the Democratic Party, however, isn't Burris' conduct alone; it's the pattern that has developed so quickly over the past few months.

The chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, Rep. Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., is the subject of a House ethics investigation. It's partly focused on his fundraising practices for a college center in his name, his ownership financing of a resort property in the Dominican Republic and his financial disclosure reports.

Federal agents raided two Pennsylvania defense contractors that were provided millions of dollars in federal funding by Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., chairman of the House Appropriations defense subcommittee.

Blagojevich was arrested Dec. 9 on federal charges, including allegations he schemed to sell the Senate seat to the highest bidder.

Tom Daschle, the former Senate majority leader from South Dakota, abandoned his bid to become health and human services secretary and the administration's point man on reforming health care; and Nancy Killefer stepped down from a newly created position charged with eliminating inefficient government programs.
Both Daschle and Killefer had tax problems, and Daschle also faced potential conflicts of interest related to working with health care interests.

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner was confirmed after revealing he had tax troubles.

Obama's initial choice for commerce secretary, Bill Richardson, stepped aside due to a grand jury investigation into a state contract awarded to his political donors.

While the Senate voted overwhelmingly to confirm William Lynn as deputy defense secretary, Obama had to waive his ethics regulations to place the former defense lobbyist in charge of day-to-day operations at the Pentagon.

The No. 2 Senate Democrat, Richard Durbin of Illinois, expressed his anger about the Burris case Wednesday while he was on an official visit to Greece.

"I do believe that the public statements made by Mr. Burris to this point have raised questions ... as to the nature of his relationship with the former governor and the circumstances surrounding his appointment," Durbin said.

Reid said in Nevada, "Now there's some question as to whether or not he told the truth."

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Dana Murphy Schedules News Conference

Dana Murphy, Republican candidate for the Corporation Commission, will hold a press conference at 2 p.m. today at the State Capitol Building in the first floor Rotunda, her campaign has announced.

"Murphy will respond to false allegations made by her opponent in recent TV advertisements," the announcement said.

Whether Murphy will discuss a vote by incumbent Democrat Jim Roth in opposition to a coal-powered plant his campaign co-chairman, top fundraiser and maximum donor Aubrey McClendon of Chesapeake Energy Corp. opposed is not known.

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Roth's Campaign Materials In State Office

Why does Corporation Commissioner Jim Roth keep campaign materials in his state office?

The question comes as Republican State Chairman Gary Jones rips Roth for passing out a business card with information about Roth's campaign on it.

Jones says he sent a party staffer to Roth's Corporation Commission office to see what cards Roth was handing out at his state office.

State ethics rules forbid distributing campaign materials in a state building.

Roth spokesman Mike Fina says the incident was a mistake when a receptionist picked up the wrong stack of cards after a visitor asked for Roth's business card; Fina did not explain why campaign materials were in Roth's state office.

Roth faces Republican Dana Murphy in the Nov. 4 election.

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Does Cargill Face Wright Challenge?

It's being reported that Republican Rep. John Wright may challenge House Speaker Lance Cargill for the speaker's post for the years 2009-10 at a GOP House members meeting next week in what is being described as fallout from the Ethics Commission investigation of GOP donations. Details in the Tulsa World.

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Loveless Says He's Not KWTV's 'Mystery Man'

Republican political consultant and State Senate candidate Kyle Loveless, former radio talk show host, says he is not the shadowy figure in KWTV's series of reports about an Ethics Commission probe of GOP fundraising.

Loveless, asked by TMRO if he is the GOP consultant (so labeled by KWTV) in the reports, replied in two separate emails: "yes i have had several house members say it was me. why? i have no ill or ax to grind against cargill, i got my own three headed dragon primary to worry about. it does sound like me though. no it is not me."

In a subsequent email, Loveless wrote, "Here is the rub - everyone, and I mean everyone thinks it is me. I don't anything to gain or problem with the Speaker. SO the question is, who has the information and knowledge of the back channels and willing to do it. I am sure there will always be people that think it is me, but right now, I am focused on two things, the family business and my race. Knocking over 5,000 doors and walking from one end of the district to the other, who in the world has time? This is a red herring, and I am the convenient target."

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Consultant Caswell Responds To KWTV Report

Republican consultant Jessica Caswell, profiled in a KWTV-Channel 9 report on the GOP ethics controversy last night in which a former candidate questioned her abilities, said, "I am sure you saw the story last night on News 9, I thought you may be interested to know News 9 omitted my statement and never mentioned Judge Dennis Hladik's statement which would have specifically undermined Jeff Davis' credibility, since he recommended me to work for Judge Hladik. They have insulted my professionalism and omitted significant facts that would have challenged their story line. My statement is as follows:

"Lance Cargill is among numerous clients of mine including State Rep. Doug Cox , State District Judge Dennis Hladik, State Senator Anthony Sykes, State Rep. Randy Terrill and others for whom I’ve provided fundraising consultation.

"Concerning Jeff Davis, I was introduced to him and recommended to him by State Rep. Guy Liebmann, another client of mine.

"Unfortunately, Davis is now a disgruntled former client of mine who fired me and hired Kyle Loveless, a known political enemy of Speaker Cargill’s. I know that if you contact many of my other fundraising clients, they will assure you that I provide quality fundraising services. I would hope that any responsible news media outlet would include these positive statements about my work in any story.”

Caswell provided this statement from Hladik:

"Jessica Caswell has asked me to provide you with a reference.

"I met Ms. Caswell last year at the beginning of my election campaign for the position of District Judge for the 4th Judicial District. I learned of Ms. Caswell through Jeff Davis. Mr. Davis was a candidate for office and sending my mother a number of mailers which appeared to be effective and professionally prepared. Upon calling Mr. Davis, he referred me to Ms. Caswell.

"After checking her references, I hired Ms. Caswell to be my campaign manager. She organized my volunteers, prepared all of our mailers, produced our radio and TV ads, and made all of the ad buys. Ms. Caswell acted professionally throughout my campaign, and my wife and I were very pleased with her services. I would not hesitate to hire her again if the need arises."

Caswell added: "I am also aware that three lawmakers, Former Rep. Thad Balkman, Rep. Doug Cox, and Rep. Guy Liebmann also released positive statements about work I had done for them that News 9 never bothered to mention either."

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Mike Reynolds: GOP Money Use Seems 'Improper'

Some of the 2004 campaign funds reportedly under investigation by the Oklahoma Ethics Commission appear to have been steered toward the campaign of a former eastern Oklahoma lawmaker, the Muskogee Phoenix reported today in a story that also quotes Republican lawmaker Mike Reynolds (pictured) as saying use of the money seems "improper."

Reynolds was named earlier by former Oklahoma Republican Party Chairman Chad Alexander as the possible source of the complaint filed with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission.

The Phoenix reported that the Oklahoma County Republican Committee footed at least part of the bill for public opinion polls conducted on behalf of former District 13 Rep. Stuart Ericson, R-Muskogee.

Ericson, who now works as an assistant prosecutor for the Sequoyah County District Attorney’s Office, said he was unaware of the surveys that appear to have been funded by the Oklahoma County GOP.

“Our races were so contested, I was just out there campaigning as hard as I could,” Ericson said. “I was knocking on doors and reaching out to the people.”

Fount Holland, Ericson’s 2004 campaign manager, said he wasn’t at liberty to discuss the polling or any connection there may have been with regard to campaign contributions to or from the Oklahoma County Republican Committee.

There have been no allegations that Ericson did anything unethical or illegal, and Ericson said he has not been contacted by anybody but the Phoenix with regard to the ethics panel probe.
While the ethics panel will not comment about its investigation, political experts say the practice of transferring funds from one political action committee to another makes it easy to launder campaign contributions. If the ethics panel finds evidence of wrongdoing, it can impose monetary penalties on parties involved.

Reynolds, of Oklahoma City, told the Phoenix that he has become alarmed about what he described as “potential campaign violations.”

“I am not in a position that I can document any violations,” Reynolds said. “On the surface it would certainly seem to be improper.”

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Holmes To Cargill: 'Do The Right Thing'

Oklahoma Democratic Party Chairman Ivan Holmes (pictured), today called on House Speaker Lance Cargill and House Republicans to " do the right thing by coming forward with the truth about allegations of illegal campaign contributions and expenditures."

Holmes' news release said: "Revelations about tens of thousands of dollars being funneled from the accounts of Republican lawmakers into the Oklahoma County Republican Party to assist Republican House candidates all over Oklahoma come at a time when the GOP has been plagued by scandal after scandal.

“Despite lip service about family values and morality, the culture of corruption in the Republican Party goes from the State House to the White House. Time and again they have broken the law and violated ethics rules in pursuit of power for the Republican Party, not for the good of Oklahoma or their constituents. It is time they come clean and place statesmanship ahead of partisanship.

"Gary Jones, Chairman of the Oklahoma Republican Party, has confirmed repeated reports that the Oklahoma Ethics Commission is investigating House Republicans for diverting checks written to the Oklahoma State Republican Party to the Oklahoma County Republican Party for use by their targeted House candidates. Sources have named House Speaker Lance Cargill, R-Harrah, and Rep. Trebor Worthen, R-Oklahoma City, chairman of the House political action committee that raises money for candidates, as the targets of this investigation.

“Not only did Cargill and Worthen mislead the voters of Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Ethics Commission, but they also misled their own legislative members who believed they were legitimately donating to the State Republican Party,” stated Holmes.

“I hope Republican Representative David Dank will join me in calling for his House Republican Leadership to step down as he did for other elected officials who are currently under investigation.”

Dank announced earlier he will introduce ethics reform legislation.

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Oklahoman Calls For GOP Donation Explanation

Editorial In The Oklahoman: House Speaker Lance Cargill, who has spent the year soliciting the 100 best ideas for Oklahoma, may wish to add one to his list: Produce an explanation for Republican campaign accounts that appear out of whack, and pronto.

Cargill, R-Harrah, is a party in an investigation by the state Ethics Commission into several 2004 campaign checks that were written to the state Republican Party but instead wound up in the account of the Oklahoma County Republican Committee.

Among those surprised by this turn of events was Cargill's predecessor, former Speaker Todd Hiett, who says he thought his own $5,000 contribution was going to the state. "I delegated campaign finance to Lance Cargill as the (political action committee) chairman,” Hiett told The Oklahoman' s Jennifer Mock. At the time, Cargill was honorary chairman of the House fundraising committee.

Mock reported that a dozen checks from the 2004 election cycle, totaling more than $30,000, are the focus of the investigation. Many who wrote the checks said their contributions went to the county party without them knowing it. Others said that in writing a check to the state GOP, they didn't earmark or even care where the money went, provided it helped Republican candidates.

Five House Republicans produced a statement — issued through Cargill's office — defending their boss. They said Cargill in 2004 didn't ask for the funds and that none of them told the GOP how their donations were to be spent. Cargill says he's glad to cooperate with the Ethics Commission, has denied any wrongdoing and adds that the probe stems from gripes by "political opponents.”That may be, but having money that's intended for one campaign account turn up in another at the very least emits an unpleasant odor. And to be sure, these sorts of things rarely go over well in the court of public opinion.

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Cargill, Others Respond To Donation Questions

House Speaker Lance Cargill today responded to questions about a reported Ethics Commission investigation of Republican House political action committee fundraising in 2004 with this statement:

"Rules on Ethics Commission inquiries are designed to protect confidentiality. We are not aware of any ethics violations that have occurred, but to be absolutely clear: I did not solicit, receive, deposit or expend any Victory Fund checks.

"Our political opponents know that Ethics Commission rules are designed to protect confidentiality. And our opponents are trying to use those rules against us by leaking information to the press which grossly misrepresents both the law and the facts regarding this matter.

"With respect to any Ethics Commission inquiry, we are glad to cooperate with the commission.

"We will play by the rules and work diligently with the Ethics Commission to resolve any matter, and to show that unfounded claims that have been made are false. We know that’s the right thing to do."

And shortly after Cargill's statement was issued, five current and one former lawmaker issued a joint statement regarding checks written from their campaign accounts to the Oklahoma Republican Party during the 2004 election cycle. The lawmakers issuing the joint statement were Rep. Don Armes (R-Lawton); Rep. Dennis Adkins (R-Tulsa); Rep. Chris Benge (R-Tulsa); Rep. Dale DeWitt (R-Braman); Rep. Ron Peterson (R-Tulsa); and former Rep. John Smaligo (R-Owasso).

“In the fall of 2004 checks were written to the Oklahoma Republican Party out of our individual campaign accounts to go toward statewide Republican election efforts. This was a transfer of surplus funds that is expressly allowed under state ethics rules. There appears to be recent misinformation implying that these funds were solicited by or sent to then-Rep. Lance Cargill. This is not true. In addition, none of us communicated with the Republican party about how these funds were to be expended."

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KWTV Examines GOP Ethics Controversy

Oklahoma City television station KWTV-Channel 9 is reporting it has examined Ethics Commission finance reports that seem to show money raised by a Republican House political action committee to support the Oklahoma Republican Party actually went to the Oklahoma County Republican Party. It has been reported that the Ethics Commission is investigating. KWTV reported it will have more on the story on Thursday night's newscasts.

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KTOK: Cargill Says He's Not Been Notified Of Probe

From NewsRadio 1000 KTOK ~ State House Speaker Lance Cargill on Wednesday made it clear he did not want to answer questions about a reported State Ethics Commission probe that could involve his fundraising in 2004.

It was at an Oklahoma City event where KTOK's Michael Cross attempted to question the Republican leader about the possible investigation.

Cross: "Have you heard about an ethics investigation or anything like that?" Cargill: "No, I think actually Damon has talked to the station."

Cross: "I was wondering if you heard anything about that at all?" Cargill walked off and State House Communications Director Damon Gardenhire was left to handle things.

"I guess first of all I'm not aware of an investigation, but secondly, the Speaker's not received any notification of anything like that. If they were conducting one like that with him, they would typically notify him and they haven't done so."

The reported Ethics Commission investigation centers around money raised by top House Republicans in 2004.

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Ethics Rule Change Prompts Event Cancellation

The Tulsa Metro Chamber has canceled a weekend event planned to entertain lawmakers because of a new state ethics rule that says a "lobbyist principal" cannot give a legislator more than $300 per year in gifts.

"I am extremely disappointed about this," said Mike Neal, the chamber's CEO. He said the weekend event was designed to tell legislators about the city by showing them the town, Neal explained.

The new ethics rule that took effect on July 1 states that a "lobbyist principal" cannot give a lawmaker more than $300 a year in gifts, including meals and tickets to events. Lobbyists are interpreting the rule to mean that if they are a member of a chamber of commerce, the courting of a lawmaker by any member of the chamber would count toward the $300 limit. Neal said the chamber's attorney has advised him that it would be better to cancel the weekend plans.

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Ethics Rules Too Broad?

By Mick Hinton, Tulsa World ~ Befuddled by new ethics rules, lobbyists have come up with an idea they hope the state Ethics Commission will find palatable. Lobbyist Pat Hall last week proposed a rule to assure that, for example, the Oklahoma State Medical Association would spend, at most, $300 a year on an individual lawmaker for meals or any other gifts. The state medical association, one of Hall's clients, has a half-dozen registered lobbyists, and the Ethics Commission has been concerned that each of those lobbyists could spend $300 on the same lawmaker. Read all of Hinton's insightful article here.

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House Panel Approves GOP Ethics Reform Package

House lawmakers Wednesday advanced a comprehensive ethics reform measure containing strong provisions cracking down on questionable campaign fundraising tactics such as"bundling" and "splitting."

"Oklahomans deserve an honest and open government," said Speaker Lance Cargill (R-Harrah), author of House Bill 2110. "The reforms we're offering are fundamental changes that will benefit citizens, instead of more posturing by power players to protect incumbents. This is about making the Capitol more open and more accessible to the public than ever before."

HB 2110 passed the House Elections and Redistricting Subcommittee on Wednesday with unanimous bipartisan support. Cargill said HB 2110 contains an eight-point plan to strengthen the public's trust in state government:

1. Ban Political Contributions at the Capitol: "There are plenty of places to hold political fundraisers," said Cargill. "Our state Capitol isn't one of them. There was a time when lobbyists were known to disperse checks to lawmakers shortly before a critical vote. We can erase this image with this simple reform."

2. Require monthly reports of contributions: Cargill said HB 2110 will provide more frequent reports for citizens' review, so that the public won't have to wait for months for information. Cargill said that if the purpose of campaign finance reporting is to reveal who, and to what degree, someone is interested in the outcome of a race, then that information needs to be made available on a more frequent basis.

3. Require disclosure for lobbyist "bundling": Lobbyists often collect several checks from different sources and deliver these bundled checks to a candidate. These coordinated efforts can involve significant amounts of money, and the public has a right to know about them.

4. Ban Honoraria: Currently, state officials can receive an honorarium for a public appearance if it is performed in their official capacity. Cargill said state officials shouldn't receive compensation outside their salary for duties related to their office.

5. Prohibit professionals from soliciting political contributions from their clients: Cargill said it is unfair for those with professional clientele to solicit contributions from those to whom they owe a duty of trust. Cargill said that attorneys, for example, shouldn't be allowed to shake down clients for contributions, many of whom may be subject to the mercy of their legal representative.

6. Require filing of contributor forms for out-of-state donors: Out-of-state political organizations routinely funnel money into Oklahoma races, and often those who are donating don't even know where the money is really going. Cargill said it is important to know the identity of donors who wish to affect politics in a state that is not their own. HB 2110 will require the filing of a contributor card -- with an express statement of intent to donate in Oklahoma -- to ensure the legitimacy of out-of-state donations.

7. End donation "splitting": Cargill said that some campaign organizations attribute partial pieces of the same contribution to different races in an attempt to get around the individual reporting requirements or contribution limits.

8. Require annual ethics training: Cargill said that HB 2110 would require each chamber of the Legislature to conduct annual ethics training for all members, employees, and lobbyists.

"Through better education and preparation, we can prevent missteps and provide clear guidance for all involved with the process," he said.

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Coburn Opposes Ethics Bill

Oklahoma's maverick U. S. Senator Tom Coburn says he won't run for re-election if an ethics bill that's passed the Senate becomes law.

Coburn's faces election in 2010; he's one of two senators who voted against the bill and says an "innocent mistake" would cost a lawmaker $500,000 to defend himself against action. He said he voted against the bill because the process of drafting and passing it had not been open enough. “Some of the things that happened along the way to the bill didn't allow the American people to really know what was going on,” he explained. The bill passed 96-2. It requires senators to give up gifts and free travel from lobbyists, pay more for travel on corporate jets and more clearly identify pet projects they insert into bills.

The bill now goes to the U. S. House for action.

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Jones Says Donations Legitimate

Enid attorney Stephen Jones said a published report in The Oklahoman suggesting he tried to buy an Oklahoma County judge’s race is incorrect. He told the Enid News & Eagle he made contributions to several friends who were running for office this year.

In published reports, former Oklahoma County District Judge Susan Caswell claims Jones illegally provided large donations that helped Bill Graves defeat her in the November election. (Editor's Note: Caswell made no such claim; she is quoted as saying she's perplexed by the interest of out-of-county interests in her campaign.)

The donations reportedly are under investigation by the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office and the state Ethics Commission. Jones said he has not been contacted by anyone regarding the investigation except the media. Jones himself is not listed as a contributor, but his wife, Sherrel, and his son and daughter are listed as contributors, along with four attorneys who work in his firm.

Six Texans who reportedly are associated with a client of Jones’, Dallas businessman Gene Phillips, also made contributions to Graves. Graves reported receiving nearly $60,000 from those sources, according to the published report.

The investigation centers on whether the donations were illegal, and Jones maintains they are not.

“I know what the law is. I’m lawyered up on the subject. They aren’t against the law. Anybody who knows what the law is, knows the story is incorrect,” Jones said.

Jones said Caswell is disappointed she lost the election. He said Bill Graves has been a family friend for 30 years. Jones has helped a number of family friends who have run for office. He is a member of the Oklahoma Republican State Finance Committee, and it is part of his job to raise money for Re-publican candidates.

“His race is not the only one I’m interested in. I was involved in about 60 races,” he said.

Jones and his wife, Sherrel, also contributed $2,500 each to the campaign of Dennis Hladik, who was elected to a Garfield County district judgeship. Jones family members also were regular large contributors on the federal level. In 2006, Sherrel Jones and Stephen Jones are listed as donating $10,000 to the Oklahoma Leadership Council. Jones also contributed $5,000 to the Cole PAC, and he and Sherrel both donated $2,100 each to Mary Fallin’s congressional campaign.

He said he also contributed to judicial candidates in Dallas County, Texas, whom he thought were outstanding. He also contributed to friends across the state.“This seemed to be a year where a lot of my friends were running,” he said.

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Attorney General, Ethics Commission Investigating Donors Linked To Enid Attorney Stephen Jones

Attorney General Drew Edmondson and the Oklahoma Ethics Commission are investigating donations made by associates of Enid attorney Stephen Jones to Oklahoma County District Judge Bill Graves, The Oklahoman reports.

Fourteen donors tied to Jones directly or indirectly gave Graves, a former State House member, more than $57,000.

Bartlesville elementary school counselor Terry Gann (Holmes), represented by Stephen Jones in a contentious Garfield County divorce case, gave $5,000 to Graves and $5,000 to Bill Case, GOP candidate for insurance commissioner. She did not respond to an inquiry about her donations by The McCarville Report Online and told reporter Clay to "contact my lawyer." She's among more than a dozen individuals associated with Jones who donated to Graves and Case.

Donors tied to Jones also gave an equally-huge sum to Republican Bill Case, who tried to defeat Democrat Kim Holland for insurance commissioner.

Reporter Nolan Clay of The Oklahoman writes, "State investigators are looking into whether a judicial race was bought...."

Clay reported, "Most of the donors declined comment or did not respond to requests for comments." None of the 14 donors connected to Jones live in Oklahoma County.

Graves (at left) told Clay, "He (Jones) would not do that sort of thing (make donations in the names of others). He's been a friend for a long time. He's helped me in past campaigns."

Former Judge Susan Caswell, defeated by Graves, said, "I don't understand why anybody from out of state or even out of this county would have an interest in a local judge race. It makes no sense to me."

Curiosity about the donations to Graves and Case from Jones family members and associates began following reports by TMRO and others last fall. The decision to open an investigation apparently came when officials noted some of the same donors gave to the Graves and Case campaigns, and the fact they gave the maximum allowed under law, $5,000.

Donors to Graves include Jones' son and daughter. They also include six Texans connected to Dallas businessman Gene Phillips, a Jones client. Clay reports that a former employee of Jones, Daniel Rath, was approached by investigators on November 1st, and asked about Jones, Phillips, and former Insurance Commissioner Carroll Fisher.

Through one of his law firm associates, Jones was tied to attacks on incumbent Insurance Commissioner Kim Holland by a secret Texas group, "Just The Facts America" headed by GOP activist Jim Cardle of Austin. The activities of that group remain under scrutiny by some, TMRO has been told. A new state multicounty grand jury headed by Edmondson is scheduled to convene later this month.

To access TMRO's stories about Jones last fall, just click on Jones' name in the labels list.

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Failure To Comply With Ethics Rules Widespread

Two-thirds of the campaigns that were required to file financial reports in 2006 failed to comply fully with state ethics rules regarding disclosure of contributors' occupations and employers, a report released Friday shows.

The worst offenders were Scott Pruitt, Republican candidate for lieutenant governor, and Tim Harris, the Tulsa County district attorney. Pruitt had 258 rules violations and Harris had 240, the report said.

Issued by the Ethics Commission staff, the report says the staff found 293 candidates who submitted reports that failed to include the occupation and/or employer of at least one contributor.

Ethics Commission member John Raley suggested that the panel get the word out to future candidates that the reporting requirement is to be taken "very seriously."

"I am concerned about the apparent cavalier attitude of a few who have failed to put down just the very modest amount of information," Raley said. "At the next cycle two years hence, prior to that time I think we need to fire a shot across the bow, give them warning, from now on we are going to view this as a serious transgression and it will be noted and appropriately punished."

The report was generated following a review of 566 candidate campaign contribution reports. Nearly half of the candidates, 273, fully complied with the reports, but that number includes 129 who were exempt from reporting because they did not accept or spend more than $500.

That leaves only 144 who got the required paperwork right and 293 who did not. Among the noncompliant campaigns, 115 candidates had one to five contributions that failed to list appropriately either the occupation or employer.

Ethics Commission Executive Director Marilyn Hughes said a total of 7,320 contributors were missing this information. "We probably had around 40 that were serious violations out of all of our (candidate) committees," Hughes said. Candidates who listed a contributor only as "self-employed" were deemed noncompliant with the rule, Hughes said.

Harris told the Tulsa World he made every effort to comply with the ethics rules, reporting whatever information a contributor provided. "It's my understanding you make your best effort to get that information," Harris said. "You make a good-faith effort to do that, to list what their employer is." Harris said he understands that the rule is intended to identify potential conflicts of interest, and he will supplement the reports with the required information if that's what the Ethics Commission desires. "It would be burdensome because I'm here to do the people's work in prosecuting crime, but if it was that important of an issue and they want me to go back and do that, I would gladly do that," Harris said.

Hughes said the current rules do not provide for a candidate's "good-faith effort" in obtaining the required information, other than allowing 10 business days to obtain the information after receipt of the contribution.

The Ethics Commission staff will send letters to the identified candidates, beginning with the campaigns that have at least 50 violations, asking them to update their contributor information, Hughes said. The commission can levy fines of as much as $1,000 per violation of the rule, Hughes said.

Other candidates with more than 100 violations of the reporting rule were: Ernest Istook, 181; Robbie Kerr, 168; Johnnie Crutchfield, 161; John Sparks, 161; John Luton, 154; Mary Easley, 132; Brad Henry, 118; Lance Cargill, 112; John Mark Young, 111; Wayne Walters, 109; Todd Hiett, 108; T. Brett Swab, 106; and Anastasia Pittman, 102.

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Mary Fallin, Frank Lucas Draw High Marks For Donor Disclosure From OpenSecrets.org

Congresswoman-elect Mary Fallin and Congressman Frank Lucas draw high marks from OpenSecrets.org for the quality of donor disclosure in their successful campaigns.

Fallin is given a 98.8 percent rating, among the highest, for providing information about contributors. The organization found 1.2 percent of donor information was "incomplete" and Fallin had zero donors for which no information was listed.

Lucas drew a 99.5 percent rating, among the highest found.

Tulsa Congressman John Sullivan has the lowest rating, just 89.9 percent, with 10.1 percent of his donors found with no information, a red flag.

Congressman Dan Boren, D-2nd District, drew a 95.5 percent rating; Congressman Tom Cole, R-4th District, drew a 95.6 percent rating.

Federal law requires that all donors be identified by address, occupation and place of employment. Some candidates whose listings TMRO examined met those requirements only in the 80-percent range; in the past, ratings that low have prompted Federal Election Commission letters warning that the required information must be provided.

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