Local News
NEW: OSBI opens investigation into City Council campaign finances
OSBI investigating corporate donations to City Council campaigns
STILLWATER, Okla. — An investigation into the campaign finances of candidates who ran for Stillwater City Council formally was opened Thursday, an Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation agent said Friday.
The agency has begun interviewing witnesses and gathering information, Special Agent Richard Brown said. The findings will then be presented to Payne County District Attorney Rob Hudson for a determination of any wrongdoing.
Brown contacted Stillwater NewsPress after the NewsPress published an investigative story looking into municipal campaign spending. Brown's questions involved NewsPress campaign ads Williams purchased through his corporations.
Hudson contacted Stillwater police to investigate local campaign spending after the NewsPress interviewed the district attorney for the NewsPress' story on campaign finance. Stillwater police forwarded their investigation to the OSBI. Police Chief Norman McNickle cited possible conflicts of interest with the department, should a candidate whose spending may be investigated be elected to the council.
An initial campaign finance report from former seat 1 candidate Dennis Gronquist indicated campaign manager Sidney Williams had bought advertisements with money from two corporations he owns. Gronquist later amended his report, striking about $1,500 of in-kind advertising donations from the form.
Officials from the Oklahoma Ethics Commission have said corporations can buy independent ads for a candidate only without input from the candidate or campaign. Williams' corporation also purchased more than $1,000 in newspaper advertising for Gary Stanton, who is in a runoff April 6 with fellow City Council candidate John Bartley. Williams later canceled some Stanton ads that reduced the amount of his corporate expenditure below $1,000.
Corporations may not contribute money to a campaign or candidate directly, according to Oklahoma Ethics Commission Director Marilyn Hughes. While Williams is not listed as an officer or agent in Stanton's campaign, the photo for the Stanton ad Williams' corporation purchased was taken at Williams' office.
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