Rinehart Trial Decision Due July 24th

Oklahoma County District Judge Jerry Bass is expected to rule on July 24th whether County Commissioner Brent Rinehart will stand trial on felony charges.

The judge's ruling is expected after arguments made Tuesday by attorneys for Rinehart, former campaign manager Tim Pope and donor Ray Pelfrey. Their attorneys argued that prosecutors don't have sufficient evidence to sustain conspiracy, money laundering and perjury charges. However, a second donor who received a deferred sentence for cooperating with investigators will provide such evidence, prosecutors said.

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Rinehart, Pope Trial Set For September 22nd

Oklahoma County Commissioner Brent Rinehart, who faces felony campaign finance charges, will go to trial on September 22nd along with former campaign manager Tim Pope and contributor Ray Pelfrey, a judge ruled today.

Their trial date was set today in Oklahoma County District Court.

They are accused of conspiring to funnel excessive contributions to Rinehart's 2004 commissioner campaign through Pope's political action committee.

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Rinehart Wants Donors, Road Work Links Revealed

By Michael Cross, NewsRadio 1000 KTOK ~ Oklahoma County Commissioner Brent Rinehart held a press conference Wednesday to push through his construction project on Southeast 89th between Henney and Choctaw, and at the same time proposed that campaign donors near such projects be disclosed.

The project is under investigation by a grand jury, and it was brought to his attention by KTOK that the project is being built by the home of contributor Ray Pelfrey. Pelfrey and Rinehart are facing charges stemming from political campaign corruption charges in 2004.

Rinehart maintains he had no idea that Pelfrey was building a house there. He says because of that he is pushing a resolution where all contributors to all campaigns near a project would have to be disclosed.

Rinehart's proposal would require each county commissioner to sign a disclosure statement that "provides the name and address of any and all persons or entities, related by blood, marriage or financial relationship to a contributor, that owns or has significant interest in, the real estate located in such proximity."

He says had he known about the proximity of Pelfrey, he wouldn't have been a victim of "Gotcha politics."

Rinehart says he has not discussed this with the other commissioners or the County Assessor and Engineer who might find themselves with more work. He says he'll try to bring this before the Board January 16th.

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Rinehart, Pope, Pelfrey Bound Over For Trial

County Commissioner Brent Rinehart, former State Rep. Tim Pope and Midwest City businessman Ray Pelfrey were bound over for trial in Oklahoma County District Court today.

The charges they face grew out of an investigation into the financing of Rinehart's campaign.

Special Judge James Paddleford announced the decision after a long weekend of reviewing the case presented by the Attorney General's office. Paddleford said in his opinion that there is sufficient evidence to put Rinehart, former legislator turned political consultant Pope and Pelfrey on trial.

Stephen Jones of Enid, Tim Pope’s attorney, responded to the court finding: "The prosecution of Tim Pope is dishonest, unfair and political. Tim has tremendous community support from his friends in the Legislature and in politics, his clients, his family and his church. They stand by him and his day of vindication is coming. We intend to show in the weeks and months ahead that this charge is politically inspired, selective prosecution, and is based upon a house of cards which will crumble."

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Judge To Decide Fate Of Rinehart, Pope, Pelfrey

An Oklahoma County judge must figure out whether county Commissioner Brent Rinehart lied to cover up illegal campaign contributions or merely engaged in politics as usual. The decision by Judge James Paddleford will determine whether Rinehart, former campaign manager Tim Pope and contributor Ray Pelfrey face trial on felony campaign finance charges. Read the entire story at www.newsok.com.

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Rinehart Case: Pelfry Now Faces Felony Charges

Ray Pelfry, 67-year-old Del City businessman, now faces felony charges of conspiracy, knowingly accepting an illegal campaign contribution and money laundering, charges upgraded from the previous misdemanor count of violating campaign laws he faced. Pelfy is charged in the alleged illegal financing of County Commissioner Brent Rinehart's 2004 campaign.

Charlie Price, spokesman for Attorney General Drew Edmondson, said the new charges were filed after review of details of the alleged scheme to funnel illegal donations into Rinehart's campaign. Pelfry is one of five men facing charges in the case.

Rinehart and former State Rep. Tim Pope, his campaign manager, face a July 6th preliminary hearing on counts of conspiracy, money laundering and perjury. They deny wrongdoing.

One person charged in the alleged scheme has reached a plea agreement with prosecutors and is assisting them, it was reported earlier.

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KTOK: Rinehart, Pope Face Charges

From KTOK Radio News ~ Oklahoma County Commissioner Brent Rinehart was named today on numerous felony charges including conspiracy, money laundering and perjury.

The charges were filed at mid-afternoon.

Former State Representative Tim Pope also faces allegations connected to Rinehart, as do three others. The various charges include conspiracy to commit a felony, knowingly accepting illegal campaign contributions, state money laundering and perjury.

Three Rinehart contributors, developers Jerl Methvin, Ray Pelfrey and Robert Larkin, were each charged with one misdemeanor count of violating campaign laws by donating more than $5,000 to a political candidate.

"There is no foundation to it,” said Enid attorney Stephen Jones, representing Pope. "It is politically inspired, and it is retaliatory. It is abuse of the attorney general's power to proceed. We will fight and defend it.”

It is possible the other commissioners will move to remove Rinehart from office; they will meet Friday to discuss the situation. Attorney General Drew Edmondson indicated that if they do not act, he may do so.

Former Oklahoma County Commissioner Jack Cornett chuckled upon hearing the news that Rinehart, the man who beat him in the 2004 campaign, had been hit with criminal campaign fundraising charges: "I feel honestly, I feel like justice is shaped up here."

He was aware of the OSBI investigation into the fundraising by Rinehart, former legislator Tim Pope and three others and was interviewed by agents. "Took a long time, but I was really not convinced that the state was gonna get him--he's pretty slippery in my opinion," said Cornett, referring to Rinehart. "From my standpoint, it took a long time but from his standpoint it was probably pretty quick."

And does it now open the door for his return to politics? Would he consider being County Commissioner again? "I would if, I don't know if it's legally possible. But looks to me if fraud's been done, it opens up a whole new election."

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