Sunday, February 3, 2008

Piatt to keep $5,000 Campaign Donation from Phillips




GOP leader to keep donation
By MICK HINTON World Capitol Bureau

Neither giving nor taking the
controversial contribution is illegal.


OKLAHOMA CITY -- House Majority Leader Greg Piatt said Friday that he will keep a $5,000 campaign contribution from Bradford Phillips, who sought legislation last year that would have benefited insurance companies his family holds in trust.

Piatt, R-Ardmore, said he did not solicit the contribution. There was nothing illegal about Phillips' giving the contribution or Piatt's accepting it.

The lawmaker said he would receive criticism no matter what decision he made about the contribution.

Piatt said he discussed the issue again Friday with two key members of his campaign committee in Ardmore, and they agreed with his decision.

"It doesn't go away either way, but if you do nothing wrong, there is nothing to apologize for," he said.

Piatt proposed a key amendment to the legislation sought by Phillips.

He received the donation at an Ardmore fundraiser in June after the 2007 legislative session. Two days earlier, Piatt also received a $5,000 donation from Stephen Jones, an attorney for Bradford Phillips' father, Gene Phillips. Jones is a major contributor to Republicans.

Campaign donations are limited to $5,000.

Two other lawmakers confirmed this week that they have returned campaign contributions from Phillips. Rep. Ron Peterson, R-Broken Arrow, who leads the committee that heard the controversial legislation, said he returned a $4,000 check shortly after he received it in late December.

Peterson said that as chairman of the committee that hears such bills, he wanted to make sure that there wasn't even the perception that he would be influenced by a donation.

He said the merits of the insurance amendment have been lost in the controversy over Phillips.

State Insurance Commissioner Kim Holland had proposed that an insurance company could make commercial real estate loans based on a cap of 2 percent of assets, patterned after a national model.

However, Piatt succeeded in passing an amendment in the House committee to raise the amount to 20 percent.

Both Peterson and Piatt said they have considerable experience in the insurance and banking fields and that 20 percent is reasonable.

The bill with the Piatt amendment was approved by the committee but was not brought to the House floor because it had become controversial.

Meanwhile, Rep. Paul Wesselhoft, R-Oklahoma City, a committee member, said Thursday that he returned a $700 check from Phillips.


Peterson said he told committee members who received contributions that he thought it was a good idea not to accept them.

He advised them to return them, and at least four of the members have. They were contributions of about $600 each.


Mick Hinton (405) 528-2465
mick.hinton@tulsaworld.com

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