The Oklahoma Ethics Commission has agreed to issue another public reprimand, presumably of a state official, but is not revealing the person's identity until a draft of the reprimand is revised.The action came at a meeting Friday of the ethics panel, which three weeks ago reprimanded former state House Speaker Lance Cargill, R-Harrah, in a campaign fundraising case.
Ethics Commission officials would not discuss any details of the new reprimand, which was voted upon after a closed-door session.
Chairman Don Bingham of Tulsa said the identity of the person being reprimanded would be withheld until the panel's staff could make revisions to the document outlining the reasons for the action.
Bingham said details would probably be released on Tuesday.
Last month, Cargill drew a reprimand for his role in the funneling of more than $30,000 in contributions intended for the Oklahoma Republican Party to a committee of the Oklahoma County GOP for legislative races.
Some contributors complained that they intended their money to go to the state committee for general use on behalf of Republican causes and were surprised to learn that it was sent to the county.
In other action, the commission began discussion of proposed ethics rules to be submitted to the 2009 Oklahoma Legislature.
One proposal by Tulsa attorney Andrew Downing would allow companies and corporations to solicit political contributions from their employees twice a year.
Another proposal would establish a "no gift list" at the ethics agency. Legislation to set up such a list was introduced this year, but failed to win legislative approval.
John Wood, professor at Rose State College, said North Carolina has such a registry, which allows lobbyists to check for any legislators who do not want to receive gifts.
Wood said six states ban gifts altogether.
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