Prater Dismissed Felony Charges Against Hofmeister ‘Pending Further Investigation’
Oklahoma County DA dismisses criminal charges against Hofmeister ‘pending further investigation’
By Andrea Eger, Tulsa World
OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater on Tuesday dismissed criminal felony charges against State Superintendent Joy Hofmeister, just a few weeks ahead of her scheduled preliminary hearing.
In a motion filed late Tuesday, Prater stated he is requesting the dismissal “pending further investigation.”
Hofmeister was charged on Nov. 3 with two counts of conspiracy to commit a felony and one count each of knowingly accepting contributions in excess of the maximum allowed by law and knowingly accepting corporate contributions.
Prosecutors alleged that Hofmeister conspired with others to funnel money from a donor corporation and two education groups into an “independent expenditure” fund for negative advertising against then-State Superintendent Janet Barresi, whom Hofmeister defeated summarily in 2014’s GOP primary.
Also charged in the case are Fount Holland, Hofmeister’s chief campaign consultant; Stephanie Dawn Milligan, a political consultant who operated the independent expenditure fund; Lela Odom, who was then executive director of the Oklahoma Education Association; and Steven Crawford, who was then executive director of the Cooperative Council for Oklahoma School Administration.