The Easley Family and PORK part 1...

According to records from the Eastern Oklahoma Development District, a COG based in Muskogee, Kevin Easley earmarked that money. Easley lives in Broken Arrow, and is a TU graduate. Now the CEO of the Grand River Dam Authority, Easley says he does not recall details of the earmarks he sent through the EODD when he was a state senator. That would include the $225,000 which records show he earmarked to a group called the Broken Arrow Community Center Foundation.

"That was a project that the voters of Broken Arrow voted for, and supported and constituents had asked for," said Kevin Easley.

Broken Arrow voters did approve a million-dollar bond issue to buy land for a new community center on the east side, a project that is still in the planning stages. But those voters may not have known about Senator Easley's personal connection to it.

"My wife's a volunteer and once the land is secured she will continue to be a volunteer," said Kevin Easley.

But the chairman of the foundation says Easley's wife was more than a volunteer.

"She worked hard on, putting all this together," said Larry Allison with the BA Community Center Foundation.

Broken Arrow realtor Larry Allison says the foundation hired her as executive director. He also says one of the board members is her father. That means two of former senator Easley's family members were involved with the foundation, when he earmarked $225,000 in state funds for it.

The News asked Larry Allison. “You can see where that, why some people might object to that." Larry Allison responded, "Well, I can tell you that she worked very, very hard in what we were trying to accomplish. And that's all I can tell you. How other people look at it is their problem."

The News wanted to talk to Dee Ann Easley about her work with the Broken Arrow Community Center Foundation, but she never returned our phone calls. Governor Brad Henry used a line-item veto to temporarily halt earmarks, but there is no law to stop lawmakers from using them again.


http://www.kotv.com/news/local/story/?id=140279