Remember This When Scott Pruitt Runs For Governor

[Hobbes]

Long story short:

In 1989 southwestern bell filed for a rate increase and it passed the corporation commission by a 2-1 vote.

Subsequently, one of the commissioners ( Bob Hopkins ) and a southwestern bell attorney were convicted of bribery in the case.

Now, a lawsuit has been filed to return 14 billion dollars to ratepayers on the argument that the 2-1 was invalid because the bribed vote of Hopkins was illegal so the legal vote was 1-1 and the rate increase was not approved by the CC.

AT&T, then SW Bell, argues against the lawsuit and AG Scott Pruitt sides with AT&T before the Oklahoma Supreme Court.

On September 25th, Pruitt’s campaign, one in which he faced no opposition, received six contributions from ATT executives in Georgia and Texas. They gave him $4,750 total in contributions.

Five days later on September 30, 2014, the Attorney General’s re-election campaign received $10,500 in contributions from ten more ATT executives including $4,000 from Wayne Watts of Dallas, Texas who was ATT’s Senior Executive Vice President and General Counsel. A $1,000 contribution was made by Randall L. Stephenson, ATT’s Chairman and CEO.

The next batch of contributions came October 14, 2014—35 of them on one day from ATT executives. They contributed $27,550 and the money came from a long list of ATT corporate offices including Senior Vice Presidents, attorneys, a Chief Marketing Officer, a corporate lobbyist and attorneys for an Oklahoma law firm that counts ATT as a client. Two days later, two other ATT executives contributed $1,250.

OK Energy Today asked Pruitt’s office for a comment and there was no reply. But now the Attorney General is fighting the latest effort by six ATT customers to have the Corporation Commission reconsider the matter. More than $16 billion is at stake as one of the six customers is retired FBI agent Bob Ricks, now the police chief in Edmond. At the time of the FBI investigation into Southwestern Bell’s bibery of then-Corporation Commissioner Bob Hopkins, Ricks was director of the Bureau’s Oklahoma City office. He is more than familiar with the details of the crime that sent Hopkins and Southwestern Bell Attorney William Anderson to prison. He was not involved in last year’s effort before the State Supreme Court but joined the cause this time.

A hearing is set for Nov. 3 before the Corporation Commission. Attorney General Pruitt filed a motion in opposition to the Commission’s review of the matter, and asked for a hearing en banc before anything is considered by an Administration Law Judge at the commission.

http://okenergytoday.com/2015/10/at...er-he-sided-with-firm-in-old-rate-case-fight/

 

[blazeitornot]

I like that only info about him on his website is "Pruitt to serve as National Chairman of Federal-State Relations for the Jeb 2016." I bet when he goes out of town his wife is DTF.

 

[davek]

It occurs to me that if drugs are decriminalized and the druggies let out there will be plenty of prison cell space for corrupt politicians.

 

[crrcboatz]

Wow great stuff. WHere in heck did you find that???

 

[IndVet]

After all the money he's flushed down the toilet, Scott Pruitt couldn't be elected dogcatcher.

 

[dennishoddy]

I just want my check from the lawsuit.

 

[Hobbes]

Wow great stuff. WHere in heck did you find that???

I heard a blurb about it on KWTV news today and googled the details.

If you remember, JC Watts was caught up in the same investigation but never charged.

Hall's demand was based on an episode of the Public Broadcasting System's series ``Follow the Money'' that aired Tuesday night. The episode will air again at 1 p.m. Sunday on KOED, Channel 11, in Tulsa.
The series, which examines questionable political contributions and fund raising, featured Watts, a second-term lawmaker who is mentioned in some Republican circles as a possible vice-presidential candidate.

The episode includes footage of another PBS investigative series, ``Frontline,'' which aired FBI tapes of a 1991 telephone conversation between Watts, then a member of the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, and Bill Anderson, then a lobbyist. Anderson later was convicted of bribing another corporation commissioner and sentenced to prison. He is now under house arrest because of poor health.

Also convicted was former Corporation Commissioner Robert Hopkins of Tulsa, who recently died.
On the phone, Anderson tells Watts he has received $1,500 in cash from three independent telephone companies.

``OK. Well, good deal,'' Watts replies.
The two arrange for Watts to pick up the money at Anderson's home that evening. Watts says: ``All right. OK. Good deal, I'll see you after awhile.''

http://www.tulsaworld.com/archives/...cle_71e194fa-71db-5f44-baa2-7df0af4ec482.html

 

[Hobbes]

This is the bribery scandal that just keeps on giving.

 

[dennishoddy]

Where's my check?

 

[Hobbes]

Where's my check?

There won't be any money.
On your deathbed you will receive "total consciousness"