Ethics Commission Expected To Raise Fines This Summer
Oklahoma candidates who don’t follow rules find politics costly
The Oklahoma Ethics Commission said it will begin assessing penalties this summer to almost two years worth of political candidates and committees that have failed to comply with campaign contribution and expenditure reporting requirements.
By Zeke Campfield | Published: May 18, 2013
Candidates for political office in Oklahoma could soon be on the hook for tens of thousands of dollars in penalties for failing to file campaign contribution and expenditure reports as required by state law.
Lee Slater, executive director of the Oklahoma Ethics Commission, said work will begin this summer to chip away at a two-year backlog of candidates and political action committees that have not kept up with the required reporting schedule.
As of Friday, two dozen candidates for political office stretching back as far as 2008 had not filed their latest quarterly report, due April 30, but dozens of others filed their reports days or weeks late.
The list of political action committees that are behind schedule is even longer.