REPUBLICAN SPY SENT INTO ROTH'S OFFICE

October 22, 2008

By Wayne Fuller

Oklahoma Republicans are accusing openly gay corporation commissioner Jim Roth of distributing campaign materials in a state building in violation of ethics rules.

State GOP Chairman Gary Jones told the Associated Press he sent an unidentified staff member into Roth’s office at the Jim Thorpe Building in Oklahoma City to see what type of business card was being handed out. After asking for a card, a receptionist handed the undercover operative one of Roth’s campaign cards instead of his state corporation commissioner card.  

Roth’s campaign spokesman Mike Fina is claiming the receptionist accidentally gave out the wrong card.

Corporation Commissioner Jim Roth

According to the Oklahoma Ethics Commission no formal complaint about the incident had been made as of Wednesday morning.

Roth was appointed to the Oklahoma Corporation Commission in June 2007 by Gov. Brad Henry to fill out an office left vacant by Denise Bode. On November 4^th, he’ll be facing Republican challenger Dana Murphy in an election for the six-year-long post.  

Edmond attorney, personal fitness trainer, and gun enthusiast

 Dana Murphy is seeking to unseat Roth on Nov. 4th

In a previous article dealing with Rep. Sally Kern’s (R-Oklahoma City) campaign financing Gossip Boy reported that Roth’s opponent in the corporation commissioner race, Dana Murphy, had failed to report in her financial disclosure forms in-kind contributions involving far below market rate office space. Ralph Harvey, president of Marlin Oil Company in Oklahoma City, was providing Murphy campaign office space for $50 a month. Harvey, who is serving as Murphy’s campaign manager, also gave her a $5,000 campaign contribution.

In July Oklahoma Rep. Mike Reynolds (R-Oklahoma City) was forced to return $5,000 to Harvey after the ethics panel found the oil exec had given the representative twice the legal contribution allowed by law for an election cycle. Further, Reynolds had to return another $5,000 to another oil exec, Mike Marshall CEO of 5 Star Co., for the exact same reason.

Rep. Reynolds and Rep. Kern pray at the Rally for Sally gathering in April.

Both representatives have received large contributions from oil exec Ralph Harvey,

 who spearheads the campaign of Roth challenger Dana Murphy. Kern appeared at an

Oct. 16^th debate between Murphy and Roth and vowed to do whatever it takes

to make sure Roth isn’t elected to the corporation commissioner post.

Kern has received $5,000 from Harvey, who is helping to finance the campaigns of those who are running against gay-friendly opponents or who are conducting anti-gay campaigns. Besides large contributions to Kern and Murphy, he has made substantial contributions to Senator Jim Inhofe, Senator John Cornyn of Texas, and Congressman Sam Graves of Missouri. The trio are all running high-profile anti-gay campaigns in their respective states.

Both Kern and Reynolds introduced similar bills both named Religious Viewpoints Discrimination Act, which many believe are attempts to expand the right-wing Christian fundamentalist agenda in public schools.

Roth, also, has influential energy executives deeply involved in his campaign. Heading up Roth’s campaign are three of the wealthiest energy men in the state: Aubrey McClendon, Harold Hamm, and George Kaiser.  

Corporation commissioners are responsible for regulating the oil and gas industry in Oklahoma.