OKLAHOMA CITY (17 January 2017) – The second of three Democrats appointed to the Special Investigation Committee exploring sexual harassment claims against two incumbent House members announced he will not attend today’s closed-door meeting of the panel.
Rep. Steve Kouplen, D-Beggs, informed Rep. Josh Cockroft, R-Wanette, the panel’s chairman, that he would be absent “due to the requirement of signing a non-disclosure agreement.”
The fact that only current House members will be investigated by the panel, coupled with “the non-ability to have a minority report,” are of “great concern to me,” Kouplen explained. “I served on a previous investigation with basically the same rules and non-disclosure agreement, and did not believe it provided the transparency that was expected or deserved.”
Since the Republican majority “controls all aspects involved in this investigation, including the HR Department, I find it hard to imagine there will not be disagreements on some issues,” Kouplen wrote in a letter to Cockroft. “Yet without majority agreement, a different viewpoint will be silenced.”
Rep. David Perryman, D-Chickasha, announced last week that he would not sign the confidentiality agreement demanded by Cockroft. Perryman branded it a “gag order” and said it “undermines the independence that I have as a legislator.”
-30-
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008135227880
MIKE W. RAY
Media Director, Democratic Caucus
Oklahoma House of Representatives
(405) 962-7819 office
(405) 245-4411 mobile
Why would the Republicans not want transparency in the investigation of alleged wrong doings by House Members regardless of party affiliation?? Do yo think they would have the same position if the two alleged were Democrates????