Willa Johnson play the race card?

This email was sent to me:

RE: The Campaign for Shirley Darrell, Oklahoma County Commissioner District 1

Ladies and Gentlemen:

Tuesday, July 27, 2010, is an important day for our state and county. We will be electing candidates of choice to represent our needs for the next 4 years. Over the past couple of weeks we've watched and listened to political television ads and robo telephone calls.

Yesterday evening, Wednesday-July 21, 2010, I received an extreme and disturbing robo phone call from Sheriff Whetsel and Jim Roth. This call was blasphemy against my friend, Shirley Darrell. The call was placed on behalf of Willa Johnson, attempting to convince us that Shirley is dishonest and unfit for office. Enough of lies and mudslinging ---- here are the facts.

1. We are educated, intelligent, professionals, and I believe we can see through the same ole "low-down-dirty" games.

2. Shirley has not and will not stoop to such tactics. She is on point with the issues that affect all of us.

3. Monday evening, July 19, 2010, Joan White and I attended a political forum sponsored by the Fairview Baptist Church. Shirley addressed the audience and set forth her agenda.

4. Shirley proposed to freeze all property taxes for 5 years allowing property values to catch-up with the over-priced ad valorem taxes, we continue to pay. A novel idea that everyone applauded. (Approximately 125)

5. Willa Johnson, on the other hand, professed that she thought property taxes should be increased! Yes, you read this correctly, that's exactly what she said!

6. Shirley is against the $600,000.00 OR Bond program. Her belief is if people get arrested they know how to get out of jail and do not need to use our precious tax dollars to fund another county office, to get them out.

Shirley is highly educated. She has a Bachelors degree from Hampton University and a Masters [MBA] from Oklahoma City University. Previously she held the Oklahoma County District 1 seat for 16 years. During that time she constructed 16 bridges and paved hundreds of miles of 4-lane highways and inner city streets. Now, that hasn't happened since she left.

I moved back to Oklahoma City in 1998. Shortly after I moved to the Belle Isle addition our city was hit by a terrible ice storm. Shirley immediately sent her road crews to assist with de icing the streets so we could motivate in and out. In December 2009 we were once again hit by another ice and snow storm. We did not see one District 1 road crew in our neighborhood, not one. Instead we paid, from our pockets, to hire professionals to clean the streets in front of our homes, for safety sake.

I don't know about you but I would love to see a portion of my tax dollars appropriated to our neighborhood streets and gutters instead of funding "get out of jail free" programs or continued salary increases for the elected county officials. Presently, each time our taxes increase County officers receive a pay raise. They are paid $115,000/yr. base, $7,200/yr. car allowance and $1,800/yr. cell phone. This frivolous spending must stop!

Therefore, I'm asking that you vote for honesty and experience. Vote Shirley Darrell our District 1 County Commissioner. If you agree with me, please forward this to your District 1 friends and family.


Sincerely,

Eva Jo Sparks

2308 NW 57th Street

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73112

2008 RESULTS: Oklahoma Corporation Commission

Commissioner Full Term
2,231 of 2,231 precincts - 100 percent
x-Jeff Cloud, GOP (i) 856,576 - 61 percent
Charles Gray, Dem 548,004 - 39 percent


Commissioner Short Term
2,231 of 2,231 precincts - 100 percent
x-Dana Murphy, GOP 738,397 - 52 percent
Jim Roth, Dem (i) 674,695 - 48 percent

Roth Sponsored Roadway, Bridge To Campaign Official's Arcadia Tree Farm; Land Value Soars

Hat Tip to Mike @ The McCarville Report Online

Remember the controversy over the roadway that passed by property owned by a maximum donor to the campaign of the Oklahoma County commissioner who sponsored the road project?

Today, there's certain controversy over yet another Oklahoma County road, and a new bridge, that provides access to an Arcadia tree farm owned by a co-chairman, fundraiser and huge personal donor to the campaign of former Oklahoma County Commissioner Jim Roth, now a member of the Corporation Commission seeking election in his first statewide campaign.

That controversy is certain to focus attention as well on what appears to be a close and continuing alliance between Roth and the owner of the tree farm, a man who hired Roth's campaign consultant as a Capitol lobbyist and whose primary business empire Roth helps regulate as a member of the Corporation Commission.

The Alliance Between
Regulator And Regulated

Records examined by The McCarville Report Online show the following:

1 - In June 2005, minutes of a Board of County Commissioner's meeting show, County Commissioner Roth, a Democrat, began the process of sponsoring improvements on a portion of Anderson Road just south of Old U. S. (now State) Highway 66 in rural Arcadia, and the construction of a new bridge over Deep Fork Creek.

The then-existing bridge was in disrepair and, locals say, had been that way for more than a decade; because the road (which deadends to the south) had no through traffic, a source relates, previous Commissioner Beverly Hodges did not push to have the bridge rebuilt and the roadway had been essentially unused.

Oklahoma Department of Transportation records indicate the project cost $705,000; ODOT was sent final paperwork on the project in November 2006, the County Commission's meeting minutes indicate. Oklahoma County authorized $50,502 in engineering and other fees associated with the project, the minutes show.

In addition, $36,000 was paid for easements to Stanley Kolar of Arcadia. His trust owns five parcels that partially abut Anderson Road, records show, including a 1940-built home listed at 13000 East Highway 66 with a 2008 fair market value affixed by the county assessor of $157,700, a $12,000 increase over 2007.

2 - Located on the west side of that stretch of Anderson Road today is the Deep Fork Tree Farm, owned by Chesapeake Energy Corp. leader Aubrey McClendon.

McClendon also owns the nearby Pop's iconic restaurant. The tree farm is south of the restaurant on the west side of Anderson Road.

The tree farm is bordered on the west by Westminster Road near the restaurant. Both entities, Arcadia officials have said, have increased tourism and tax collections for the city.

The value of the tree farm land has skyrocketed in the year since the road improvements were made and the bridge was constructed. Oklahoma County Assessor Leonard Sullivan's office placed its fair market value last year at $60,100. By the end of March this year, it was valued at $449,362.

3 - McClendon, known for his generosity to political candidates in both parties and to public issue causes, donated $5,000 to Roth's 2006 campaign for the county commission.

4 - In 2007, Roth was named to the Corporation Commission by Governor Brad Henry to replace Republican Denise Bode, who resigned, following an unsuccessful bid to win the Republican nomination for Congress in the 5th District, to become CEO of McClendon's American Clean Skies Foundation in Washington.

The commission regulates the energy industry, of which McClendon's Chesapeake Energy Corp. is a part. Among those who supported Roth for the appointment were McClendon and Capitol lobbyist and campaign strategist Pat Hall, former Democratic Party chairman and a Roth adviser who was hired as a Chesapeake lobbyist after Roth was appointed.

5 - After McClendon became a part of the ownership group headed by Clay Bennett that purchased the Seattle Sonics professional basketball team, he and another owner came under fire from homosexual groups in Seattle for donating to an anti-gay marriage group in 2004.

Roth, who is openly gay, engaged in an email exchange with McClendon offering to make a public statement defending McClendon from attacks by Seattle's gay community or by Democrats in the Washington Legislature.

The emails were disclosed in court in Seattle during the legal battle over relocation of the team to Oklahoma City. Roth himself hinted at the close alliance he shares with McClendon in a 2007 letter he subsequently wrote to the sports editor of the Seattle Times, in which he said, "From the beginning, Clay and Aubrey initiated a genuine kindness and friendship toward my partner and me.

They have publicly and consistently supported me, even pushing back when right-wing attacks have occurred. Their support is unconditional and has helped improve the overall climate for expanding tolerance here at home."

6 - In 2007, McClendon funded a campaign against the proposed Red Rock coal-fired power plant. Two of the state's largest utilities, American Electric Power-Public Service Company of Oklahoma and Oklahoma Gas and Electric Co., wanted to build the plant.

Roth sided with McClendon and voted to deny pre-approval of the plant, which killed the project.

He was joined in that vote by Republican Commissioner Jeff Cloud.

The vote came about the time the finishing touches were being completed on the Anderson Road improvements.

Given Roth's alliance with McClendon, should he have abstained from voting on the project McClendon so opposed? The question is certain to be asked.

7 - When Roth formed his campaign committee to seek election to the Corporation Commission seat to which Henry appointed him, he named McClendon, and Bennett, as co-chairmen and the two have since hosted fundraisers and signed fundraising letters for Roth.

8 - McClendon is himself a maximum donor. As has been reported by TMRO, KTOK, the Tulsa World, and The Oklahoman, McClendon's Chesapeake associates joined him in pouring money into Roth's campaign. Many of the donations from Chesapeake employees are in the same amount and given on the same day. The donations have pushed Roth's fundraising total to more than a million dollars and more than one source says about half that sum came through the efforts of McClendon and his business associates.

Roth's critics are certain to cite the series of events that demonstrate the connection between Roth and McClendon: June 2005: Roth initiates road and bridge projects that benefit McClendon; 2006: McClendon donates $5,000 to Roth's campaign for the county commission; March 2007: Roth defends McClendon in letter to Seattle newspaper, citing "unconditional support" from McClendon; September 2007: Roth votes against Red Rock power plant proposal opposed by McClendon; May 2008: Roth names McClendon as co-chairman of his campaign for the Corporation Commission; 2008: McClendon, his company political action committee and numerous employees donate more than $100,000 to Roth's campaign; McClendon is said to have helped raise more than half a million dollars for the campaign.

The latest numbers tallied by the Tulsa World show that 104 Chesapeake employees have contributed $100,675 to Roth, including 82 who have given Roth $1,000 each, often on the same day, Ethics Commission reports show.

McClendon, chairman and CEO of Chesapeake, gave a maximum contribution of $5,000, as did Energy for Oklahomans, a political action committee for company employees.

Headquartered in a sprawling complex of new buildings in northwest Oklahoma City, Chesapeake is Oklahoma's largest natural gas producer and the third-largest overall producer of natural gas in the United States.

Last year, McClendon funded a massive advertising campaign against the proposed Red Rock coal-fired power plant. Roth and Cloud voted to deny pre-approval of the plant, which killed the project. Roth said the Red Rock debate was not about which fuel should be used to generate electricity. He said it was about whether ratepayers should be asked to pay for the costs of the plant before it was put into operation.

At no time during discussion on the issue, or in interviews about it, did Roth disclose his multiple connections to McClendon.

"When I stood up to the utilities and said no to their $2 billion plan and advocated using Oklahoma fuel for Oklahomans, I'm sure that it did attract support of employees and businesses here in Oklahoma because they know I'm working for Oklahoma," Roth told the World's Tom Lindley in a story co-written by Mick Hinton.

OG&E attorney William Bullard noted Chesapeake's involvement in the case. Chesapeake is a member of the Quality of Service Coalition, which has presented information in the case.

"When a party has an attorney in the proceeding," said Bullard, "does not bother to put one witness on under oath to be cross- examined, but elects to spend several hundred thousand - if not more - dollars throwing out inaccurate and wildly inaccurate information in an effort to influence this commission, we need to think about, are there ways to discourage that."

Were proponents of the Red Rock plant aware of the Roth-McClendon alliance at the time he voted against them and for McClendon? A call to Bullard has not yet been returned.

State and federal law prohibits corporations from contributing to candidates, although individual employees can, as long as they are not coerced into giving and their giving is not carried out by the corporation itself.

Marilyn Hughes, executive director of the Ethics Commission, told the World that when employers start specifying amounts and to whom, it might appear that an employee's job is dependent on making a contribution.

"I do think that giving the exact amount, giving it on the same day to the same candidate would be facts that would have to be considered to determine whether there was coercion," she said.

Tom Price, Chesapeake's vice president of communications, told the World that his corporation is careful to follow the law regarding campaign giving: "I am extraordinarily proud of the fact that our employees get involved in the political process," he said.

Sources: Minutes of numerous meetings of the Oklahoma County Board of Commissioners 2005-2007; Oklahoma County Assessor Leonard Sullivan's office; Oklahoma Secretary of State's Office; The Seattle Times; The Oklahoman; the Tulsa World; Oklahoma Ethics Commission; Oklahoma Department of Transportation; Federal Highway Administration; The Journal-Record; Roth2008.Com.

Chesapeake Execs Flood Roth With Cash

Anybody think its odd that
Denise Bode,
now work for a
Aubrey McClendon/Chesapeake Energy PUPPET ?

Funny how things work out. LOL

Chesapeake's employees
big givers in race
By MICK HINTON AND TOM LINDLEY World Capitol Bureau

OKLAHOMA CITY — Employees of Chesapeake Energy Corp., the state's largest natural gas producer, have sunk more than $100,000 into Jim Roth's bid to retain his seat on the state Corporation Commission, an analysis by the Tulsa World shows.

More than 80 Chesapeake employees have contributed at least $1,000 each to the campaign of Roth, a Democrat running against Republican Dana Murphy.

Roth sided with Chesapeake in a key vote last October involving construction of a coal-fired power plant.

"I've never had a contributor ask for anything in return and they must know that they would never get it,'' Roth said.

With five weeks to go before the Nov. 4 election, Roth's fundraising efforts already have set a record for a Corporation Commission race and could reach $1 million before it's over.

A former Oklahoma County commissioner, Roth was appointed to the three-member Corporation Commission by Gov. Brad Henry last year after Denise Bode resigned. Roth and Murphy, an Edmond lawyer and former administrative law judge for the commission, are vying to fill the remaining two years of Bode's term.

Through the Aug. 11 campaign reporting period, Roth had raised $884,143.18 and had $652,805.89 to spend. Murphy had raised $324,307.30 through the same period but only reported a balance of $60,965 after winning a Republican Party primary battle against Rob Johnson of Kingfisher.

Roth's campaign has received maximum $5,000 contributions from a number of prominent Democrats and Republicans, including Tulsa oilman George Kaiser; Clay Bennett, chairman of the Oklahoma City Thunder NBA franchise; Enid oilman Harold Hamm; Tulsa Mayor Kathy Taylor; former University of Oklahoma and Dallas Cowboys coach Barry Switzer; and oilman (T.) Boone Pickens.

Other Tulsans who have given $5,000 contributions to Roth's campaign are David Chernicky, George Krumme, Janet McGehee, Robert Price, Stuart Price, Joe Robson and Stacy Schusterman.

So far, 104 Chesapeake employees have contributed $100,675, including 82 who have given Roth $1,000 each, often on the same day, according to reports filed with the state Ethics Commission.

Aubrey McClendon, chairman and CEO of Chesapeake, gave a maximum contribution of $5,000, as did Energy for Oklahomans, a political action committee for the company.

Headquartered in Oklahoma City, Chesapeake is Oklahoma's largest natural gas producer and the third-largest overall producer of natural gas in the United States.

Last year, McClendon led a campaign against the proposed Red Rock coal-fired power plant. Two of the state's largest utilities, American Electric Power-Public Service Company of Oklahoma and Oklahoma Gas and Electric Co., wanted to build the plant.

Roth and Commissioner Jeff Cloud voted to deny pre-approval of the plant, which effectively stopped the project.

Roth said the Red Rock debate was not about which fuel should be used to generate electricity. Rather, he said, it was about whether ratepayers should be asked to pay for the costs of the plant before it was put into operation.

"When I stood up to the utilities and said no to their $2 billion plan and advocated using Oklahoma fuel for Oklahomans, I'm sure that it did attract support of employees and businesses here in Oklahoma because they know I'm working for Oklahoma," Roth said.

State and federal law prohibits corporations from contributing to candidates, although individual employees can, as long as they are not coerced into giving and their giving is not carried out by the corporation itself.

Marilyn Hughes, executive director of the Ethics Commission, said that when employers start specifying amounts and to whom, it might appear that an employee's job is dependent on making a contribution.

"I do think that giving the exact amount, giving it on the same day to the same candidate would be facts that would have to be considered to determine whether there was coercion," she said.

Tom Price, Chesapeake's vice president of communications, said Thursday that his corporation is careful to follow the law regarding campaign giving.

"I am extraordinarily proud of the fact that our employees get involved in the political process," he said.

Price said it was the perspective of many Chesapeake employees that Murphy had not been fair in her rulings as an administrative law judge at the Corporation Commission.

In response, Murphy asked: "What do people from the financial department and human relations know about me?"

Price also said Chesapeake employees supported Cloud in his 2002 race against Murphy.

In 2002, Cloud received $37,800 from Chesapeake employees, campaign reports filed with the state Ethics Commission show. Cloud has received $12,500 from Chesapeake employees so far this year.

Price said he finds Roth to be "an analytical and sophisticated decision maker who works as hard as any public official that I have ever had engagement with."

Roth and Murphy are involved in a hard-fought race dominated by contributions from donors associated with the oil and gas industry, which is regulated by the commission along with public utilities, telephone companies and interstate transportation. The regulated industries are traditionally among the largest donors in previous commission races.

Roth said he has strong support from people all across Oklahoma in every type of job because he "has been working very hard for a year and a half to serve Oklahoma."

He said he is building a large campaign fund because "the work is important and a positive message always costs more in a tough political environment."

Murphy said her grassroots campaign features contributors chiefly from independent oil and gas producers who often have five or fewer employees.

"I think it is fascinating that my opponent says he is a consumer advocate when it appears the majority of his money comes from the wealthy," she said.

In the other commission race, Cloud, a Republican who was born in Tulsa and now lives in Oklahoma City, is competing against former state representative Charles Gray, a Democrat from Oklahoma City, in a race for a six-year term. Cloud raised $313,055.90 through Aug. 11, compared with $17,728 for Gray.

Murphy Candidacy Challenge Delayed To Monday

Hat Tip to Mike @ The McCarville Report Online

Chaos At The Election Board; Murphy Candidacy Challenge Delayed To Monday
The Election Board today postponed hearing a challenge to Republican Corporation Commission candidate Dana Murphy after two members of the three-member board recused themselves.

Board members Tom Prince of Edmond and Ramon Watkins of Tulsa each stepped aside Friday from hearing the challenge against Corporation Commission candidate Dana Murphy. They did not give a reason for recusing themselves from the case.

Election Board Secretary Mike Clingman said Governor Henry will appoint two interim members to hear the case with the remaining board member, Susan Turpen of Oklahoma City.

The hearing now is scheduled for Monday morning. The challenge was filed by Rep. Rob Johnson of Kingfisher, who opposes Murphy for the Republican nomination for the two-year, unexpired term on the Corporation Commission now held by Democrat Jim Roth.
Johnson claims that Murphy altered a notarized document by signing her name differently than it appeared on her filing declaration of candidacy form. A video of the filing shows Election Board Secretary Mike Clingman advising Murphy to do so, and marking through one signature after she added a second signature.

Murphy Followed Election Board Secretary's Directions In Filing For Office ?

Hat Tip to Mike @ The McCarville Report Online

Controversy over the filing of Republican Dana Murphy for the 2-year Corporation Commission seat appears to center on advice given her by the secretary of the Oklahoma Election Board, Michael Clingman.


Video of Murphy filing for office shows a person who appears to be Clingman advising Murphy on the requirements for filing her statement of candidacy.

Murphy's Republican opponent, Rep. Rob Johnson, has challenged her candidacy because he says she signed "Dana Murphy" when her statement listed her as "Dana L. Murphy."

Murphy signs her form and hands it to the man, who scans it, then hands it back, advising Murphy her signature should appear as she wants her name on the ballot. She then uses her pen on the document and hands it back to the man, who scans it again and gives her further instructions to complete her filing.

Said Murphy: "If you watch the video of my filing, you will clearly hear the Election Board clerk ask me if I wanted to be listed as 'Dana L. Murphy' or 'Dana Murphy'. I advised him 'Dana Murphy', he requested that I sign 'Dana Murphy' and I did. The Election Board clerk then scratched out the 'Dana L. Murphy' signature."

The Video, that got that protest of Dana going

Hat Tip to OK1 News
Oklahoma Corporation Commission Filling (ShortTerm) 2008. Rob Johnson, Jim Roth, Dana Murphy filling

Hat Tip to Mike @ The McCarville Report Online

FRIDAY, JUNE 06, 2008

Johnson Protests Murphy's Candidacy

The Oklahoma Election Board's website tonight contains an entry indicating that Republican Rob Johnson has filed a protest against the candidacy of Republican Dana Murphy. Both seek the GOP nomination to fill the two years remaining on the term for the office now held by Democrat Jim Roth.

The listing shows a hearing date on the protest of June 13th.


Hat Tip to Mike @ The McCarville Report Online

SATURDAY, JUNE 07, 2008

Murphy Says Johnson's Challenge Unfounded
'Grasping at straws'

Oklahoma Corporation Commission candidate Dana Murphy said today the attempt by Rob Johnson and his campaign consultants to challenge her filing for office is nothing more than a desperate attempt to create something out of nothing.

"Rob Johnson and his consultants are grasping at straws because he can't challenge my qualifications. If you watch the video of my filing, you will clearly hear the Election Board clerk ask me if I wanted to be listed as 'Dana L. Murphy' or 'Dana Murphy'. I advised him 'Dana Murphy', he requested that I sign 'Dana Murphy' and I did. The Election Board clerk then scratched out the 'Dana L. Murphy' signature."

Murphy also stated that "In addition to this clarification, he also requested that I add either short or long term with the Commission office to the form and I added short term."

A hearing is set by the Election Board on Johnson's challenge for June 13th.

Murphy believes this ploy is just more evidence of the lackluster campaign on the part of Rob Johnson. "He has no hands-on, working experience at the Commission and little, if any, knowledge and background in matters regularly decided by the Commission affecting Oklahomans every day."

Murphy spent almost six years as an Administrative Law Judge at the Commission hearing over 5,000 cases; she owns her own energy law practice and she worked as a geologist in the oil patch for ten years. Murphy has also represented clients before the Commission and testified as an expert geological witness in cases at the Commission.

"Johnson's only apparent claim to fame is that he is a two term state legislator and worked as a congressional aide/gopher. His campaign is already stalling. This is his feeble attempt to cloud the fact that he has no qualifications for this office."

Murphy believes this to be a diversionary tactic used by Johnson's consultants before and currently in use in other races. Johnson, his consultant Fount Holland and former Representative Trebor Worthen, who is working on his campaign, are no strangers to controversy and the use of old guard politician "smoke and mirrors" tactics.

"For me, it's about serving my fellow Oklahomans. They deserve the very best," added Murphy. "What our state doesn't need is more self serving politicians who are more interested in serving themselves than serving our state."

Hat Tip to Mike @ The McCarville Report Online

SATURDAY, JUNE 07, 2008

Johnson Responds To Murphy's Statement

A spokesman for State Rep. Rob Johnson's campaign for Corporation Commissioner said today that Dana Murphy's response to a challenge of her candidacy by Johnson is meant to distract voters from her own mistake. "Thanks to her recent press release, Dana has confirmed exactly what we suspected: that she filed an invalid declaration of candidacy," said spokesman Rep. Trebor Worthen.

"Since she is an attorney, I would think she would know better than to alter a notorized document," said Worthen. "Someone seeking an office that is charged with interpreting laws and regulating a key part of our economy should be competent enough to follow our election laws, just like hundreds of other candidates. But given Dana's history of altering documents, I'm not surprised at this kind of behavior."

Worthen's statement said that, "In 2002, when Murphy first sought a seat on the Corporation Commission, her two Republican opponents produced evidence of document forgery involving an oil and gas lease, and accused her of other unethical behavior. Though Murphy was quick to deny the allegations, she has never fully answered the questions surrounding those issues."

"Dana likes to talk about her qualifications for office. I believe the first qualification is to have a high standard of ethical conduct," said Worthen. "Her past actions call in to serious question whether she has the proper ethics to be a public servant." A hearing to determine whether Murphy will remain on the ballot will be held this coming Friday, June 13.

Oklahoma Corporation Commission Filling (ShortTerm) 2008

Hat Tip to OK1 News Oklahoma Corporation Commission Filling (ShortTerm) 2008. Rob Johnson, Jim Roth, Dana Murphy filling