Oklahoma Legal professional Normal Gentner Drummond is taking on the prosecution of a Republican chief within the Oklahoma Home accused of a number of felonies alleging he used his energy to alter state legislation so his spouse may grow to be a tag agent, Drummond’s workplace confirmed on Monday.
Drummond takes over the case from new Oklahoma County District Legal professional Vicki Behenna. Rep. Terry O’Donnell and his spouse Teresa each have been charged with a number of felony counts within the alleged scheme. Probably the most severe cost they face is conspiracy in opposition to the state, which carries a penalty of as much as 10 years in jail and a $25,000 wonderful.
Behenna stated in a press release that she plans to work with Drummond’s workplace “to ensure these instances are getting the total consideration they deserve to guard the folks of Oklahoma.”
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O’Donnell launched a invoice in 2019 that faraway from state legislation a prohibition on the spouses of legislators serving as tag brokers. Three months after Gov. Kevin Stitt signed the invoice into legislation, the Oklahoma Tax Fee appointed his spouse to take over the Catoosa Tag Company.
O’Donnell and his spouse are accused of submitting a fraudulent software to the tax fee, which appoints the state’s greater than 300 impartial tag brokers. Tag brokers present companies resembling motorized vehicle registrations and renewals, they usually concern license plates, deal with automobile title transfers and lien releases. In addition they present notary companies and might concern state and native searching and fishing licenses.
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O’Donnell has denied wrongdoing. He stepped down from his place as No. 2 chief within the Home final yr after prices had been filed, however was reelected in November and stays majority whip within the Home.
When requested to touch upon the newest improvement, John Coyle, O’Donnell’s lawyer stated: “I suppose (Drummond) would not have sufficient to do.” Coyle added that he did not suppose altering prosecutors would have a lot of an influence on the case.
Drummond, a Republican, already has taken over the prosecution of a number of high-profile instances from Behenna’s workplace, together with a felony probe right into a barbecue deal involving the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Division, a corruption investigation on the Commissioners of the Land Workplace and the prosecution of the founders and former CFO of Epic Constitution Faculties.
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