FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 18, 2014

Contact: Trav Robertson

P: (405) 427-3366

SENATE LEADER VIOLATES OKLAHOMA ETHICS LAWS

Newberry fails to disclose expenses for golf, office furnishings, gifts and airfare in ethics reports

“Is he willfully breaking the law or does he not understand the laws he writes…$4,404.33 on interior designs?”

Oklahoma City—Today the Oklahoma Democratic Party filed an ethics complaint against Senator Dan Newberry, R-Tulsa. An investigation revealed that the Republican Senator’s ethics reports disclose a person skirting Oklahoma ethics law by living on campaign funds.

“Once again, this is displays a serious pattern of bad behavior by the Republican leadership. Dan Newberry must believe that he is above the law or that laws don’t apply to the Majority Whip of the state Senate,” stated former Representative Wallace Collins.

Sections 257:10-1-7(3)(A)(B)(C)(D) and 257:10-1-14(12)(D) of Oklahoma Ethics Laws are clear that expenditures more than fifty dollars ($50.00) in the aggregate must be reported individually and described in such a way that a person reading the report can tell where and how the money was spent.

Contrary to the law, Senator Newberry’s ethics reports, lumps together almost twelve thousand dollars ($12,000.00) of unitemized expenditures including green fees, airfare, lodging and gifts.

Collins continued, “I have never been able to buy an airplane ticket or hotel room for under fifty ($50.00) bucks. He knew the cost of these expenses, and he knew what the law says about reporting. It is time for him to come clean or resign his leadership post for his willful violation of state ethics laws. If he claims he didn’t know the law—he should resign from his position immediately for not having the knowledge of Oklahoma’s laws.”

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