Without going into great detail, between April 2013 and November 2014, Hofmeister, Stephanie Milligan (now Alexander), Steven Crawford (former CCOSA President), Lela Odom (then with the OEA), and Fount Holland (political campaign strategist now of CAMP) apparently coordinated together on Independent Expenditures through a dark money group run by Alexander called “Oklahomans For Public School Excellence” to get Joy Hofmeister elected Oklahoma State Superintendent of Public Instruction.
CCOSA and OEA donated 100,000 each and American Fidelity Bank (characterized in the Affidavit as a 100% supporter of OEA) also donated $100,000 to Oklahomans for Public School Excellence in $50k amounts through both CCOSA and OEA. They – and others – worked with Hofmeister to coordinate the messaging paid for through this account to manipulate Oklahoma voters into voting for Joy Hofmeister as state Superintendent.
No fans of Janet Barresi’s term as Superintendent, ROPE was behind Hofmeister’s initial bid for the position after she had assured us that she would not support Common Core. Of course, this all changed during the fight for new, non-Common Core, state standards where we were kicked to the curb by Hofmeister and her public ed allies so they could usher in shiny new “non-Common Core” Common Core standards, leaving us once again to fight our State Superintendent.
Now, let’s read some of Mrs. Hofmeister’s text messages from the Affidavit knowing this background…
Let’s start here:
1. JOY CHANGES CONTRIBUTIONS ON ETHICS FILINGS TO AVOID SCRUTINY
PAGE 8
2. JOY’S CAMPAIGN CONSPIRED TO THWART IRS RULES
PAGE 9
I have begun studying dark money this election season. I KNOW there is an IRS rule that says 501c4 Social Welfare organizations must not make politics their main activity. The organizations I have researched have done this as COMMON PRACTICE, however, which is why – in my opinion – the 501c4 should be removed as an IRS non-profit designation. It’s quite an easy way for cheaters to cheat the system.
3. JOY ALLOWS HER TEAM TO MISLEAD THE PUBLIC REGARDING OEA’S SUPPORT OF HER CANDIDACY WHILE FOUNT HOLLAND ADMITS THE CAMPAIGN WILL USE DISENGENUOUS “RIGHT WING RHETORIC”
4. JOY COORDINATES WITH FOUNT HOLLAND REGARDING SUPPORT OF OEA IN THE INDEPENDENT EXPENDITURE
PAGE 10
5. JOY TELLS INVESTIGATORS SHE HAS “NO SPECIFIC KNOWLEDGE” OF AN INDEPENDENT EXPENDITURE GROUP
PAGE 27
The character of the person described here is indelibly marred. According to the quoted affidavit, Mrs. Hofmeister plays fast and loose with the truth and cares little about following the campaign laws of this state, so how in the world could we expect her to care about following any of its other laws? It’s simple: we can’t.
Advance Oklahoma PAC has some very interesting connections and affiliations – and just put out a hit piece on a candidate running against a Fount Holland (CAMP) client.
Today I received a mailer against a candidate in my local SD28 race – Jeff McCommas.
Jeff is running against Fount Holland (CAMP) candidate Grant Green. Mr. Holland is the man who was arrested and charged for working with then-candidate Joy Hofmeister to coordinate voter messaging through an Independent Expenditure – a PAC that must be independent of a candidate and his/her committee.
This mailer is tied to a group called Advance Oklahoma PAC. Note the diagram above. Advance Oklahoma PAC has many things in common with a PAC called Build and Protect. They both have the same Treasurer – Dustin McIntyre. They both spend money through three groups – CAMP, Amber Integrated and South Creek Group.
Advance Oklahoma and Build and Protect PAC share an address.
This is what corresponds to the address listed:
Both phone numbers produce similar generic answering messages – essentially no one is available to take the call, please leave a message.
Now, here comes an even more interesting tie – the candidates associated with the PACs.
Advance Oklahoma lists Independent Expenditures for Gabe Renfrow, Logan Phillips, Hunter Zearley, Teresa Sterling, Jeff Sawatzky and Grant Green. The only one who is NOT a CAMP client is a direct mail expense for Richard Miller (running for HD49). But here again is an interesting parallel.
Build and Protect PAC has IE’s supporting only CAMP client John George (running for HD36), but for 1 entry supporting Senator Brenda Stanley (a Neva Hill client).
Inside the Advance Oklahoma PAC there is only ONE documented expense paid to CAMP. That for Richard Miller (an Ascend client).
Notice that both of these entries have funds expended through CAMP.
Advance Oklahoma PAC is registered with the Federal Election Committee as a Super PAC (it can only spend money for candidates who don’t know it’s spending money for them).
Note the Treasurer is the same as registered on the other PAC paperwork. Interestingly, the address on the FEC paperwork corresponds to the address below.
But there’s more.
Looking through the expenditures at FEC.gov shows thousands and thousands of dollars in expenditures to CAMP for the same time period as recorded through the Ethics Commission website for Advance Oklahoma PAC – this is just one page.
Now for the questions.
How can an INDEPENDENT EXPENDITURE PAC:
have no legitimate address or phone number tying it to a business or at least a person responsible for the PAC?
pay the political consultant of the client for which the PAC is spending money and still be INDEPENDENT?
have so many things in common as these two PACS who seem to work only for CAMP clients while also paying CAMP for work the PAC does?
If this is legal, it shouldn’t be. If it’s illegal, it should be prosecuted. Where is justice for all the good candidates who are having voters turn against them because of baseless claims by people who seem to be colluding with their clients to change voter perception using money that is supposed to be INDEPENDENT of their candidate campaigns.
In case it’s not legible, the McCommas mailer makes the baseless, untrue claim that Jeff is pro-choice on the basis of an UNRETURNED survey sent out by Oklahoman’s for Life. Jeff doesn’t even remember getting that survey. What candidate remembers to fill out every survey they get? This would be flat silliness if it weren’t so destructive to good people who have put aside their businesses and families and budgets to become SERVANT leaders at our state capitol.
Here’s Jeff’s own mailer from today. Vote Jeff McCommas.
Conservative Policy Network is yet another group in a long line of groups which is using money from who knows where (Dark Money) to influence Oklahoma elections.
As I’ve written about in previous blogs on Dark Money, campaign consultant Fount Holland was arrested on charges of conspiracy to commit a felony for breaking Oklahoma campaign laws. At the time, Mr. Holland was running Joy Hofmeister’s campaign for State Superintendent against former SS Janet Baressi. He was charged because it was found that he – and Mrs. Hofmeister – were working with an independent PAC to help get her elected.
FYI: Any candidate running for office can accept donations of up to $2900 a person or $3800 per couple per each election cycle (a primary, a runoff, a general). Think on this: that’s over $11,000.00 a couple could give a candidate during an entire election campaign. That’s not an insignificant amount.
Still and all, there are people who want to help candidates get elected by contributing more than what’s legal through a campaign account. They do this by creating an “unlimited” PAC. The PAC raises money, but doesn’t have to show where that money comes from (which is why it’s called DARK money) and then spends what they raise to help elect a candidate. THIS IS IMPORTANT: It is illegal for a candidate – or their campaign manager – to work with anyone associated with an unlimited PAC using money to help the candidate get elected. They are called Independent Expenditures because the group is working to elect the candidate INDPENDENTLY of the candidate’s campaign.
Candidates have a campaign account that can be searched on the Oklahoma Ethics Commission website. This transparency allows citizens to be able to see who is donating to that candidate.
501c4’s only have to record WHERE and HOW their money was spent, not where it comes from. This keeps voters in the dark about who might be influencing candidates. Often, Dark Money IE’s are funded through an intricate web of non-profit 501c4’s and PACs which make it very hard to determine anyone associated with a group spending money on behalf of a candidate.
This set of mailers was received today. Look more closely at the address box:
Note that it says, “Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee”. This means it’s an Independent Expenditure and it’s NOT LEGAL for a candidate or their campaign manager to be associated with the group paying for the mailer – in this case, “Conservative Policy Network”.
I wanted to know where this mailer came from, so I went to the Oklahoma Ethics website and searched for Conservative Policy Network. I found the Ethics report at the top of the page. Please note; it says it is an IE OPPOSING Brady Butler, Jarrin Jackson and Karmin Grider.
The address for the group is here:
Legitimate IE groups in Oklahoma are required to have an address to the business or group supporting the IE. This is NOT a legal address for an Independent Expenditure in Oklahoma.
I called the phone number associated with the group and it picks up immediately and says, “The person you are trying to reach is currently unavailable. Please leave a message.” (This happens with EVERY organization without a legitimate address I’ve tried.)
Additionally, I was not able to find an associated Federal PAC, nor an associated 501c4, nor any other information at all about this group created on the 22nd of July – not even a month ago.
Who is running against the candidates being opposed by this group? Brady Butler is running against CAMP (Fount Holland) client Darcy Jech, Jarrin Jackson is running against CAMP client Ally Seifried and Karmin Grider is running against CAMP client Collin Duel. Odd coincidence? Doubtful.
In a few days, I’ll be releasing a diagram of how money is flowing from 501c4 organizations and specific PACs in Oklahoma during this election year. You’ll note at that time, that the filing agent listed on this Ethics Report is one often used by PACs/Groups associated with Fount Holland candidates or paying CAMP for work on campaigns.
DARK MONEY ADS LIKE THE ONE AGAINST KARMIN, CAN URGE VOTERS TO VOTE BASED ON LIES AND HALF-TRUTHS PAID FOR BY PEOPLE WHO WANT TO INFLUENCE ELECTIONS WITHOUT BEING KNOWN!
DON’T MAKE AN UNEDUCATED VOTE!!
Talk to candidates directly. Most all have websites and even phone numbers where they can be reached. Educate yourself before you mark your ballot, don’t be misled by FAKE groups using DARK money to influence you!
For months I’ve been researching Dark Money in Oklahoma, tying together a wide-reaching web of PACs and Non-Profits and Oklahoma Movers and Shakers and other SWAMP creatures. This is Part 1 of what I hope will be a pretty thorough expose on who pulls the strings to get voters to pull levers in Oklahoma elections.
Since becoming disgusted with the 2022 primary elections – especially former Senator Jake Merrick’s re-election campaign – like some politically nerdy Alice in Wonderland, I accidentally fell down a rabbit hole trying to determine who really decides elections for Oklahomans – voters, or people who use money to influence elections.
What I’ve found is mind-numbing and the absolute reason why grassroots Oklahomans engaged in the political process to elect Constitutionally-minded, small government conservatives are getting their butts handed to them nearly every election. We simply can’t make up in advocacy, what PACS and 501C4’s can raise in money when no one has to know where that money is coming from and – to an extent – where it goes. It all happens in the dark at our expense.
So let’s start with Catalyst Oklahoma PAC. I wrote about them briefly in my analysis of Merrick’s re-election campaign, but since then, I’ve learned much more.
CATALYST’S OCPA/CHAMBER CONNECTION
Catalyst Oklahoma, Inc., was created in October of 2014. A filing made with the Secretary of State’s Office (OKSOS) received October 23, 2014, lists Charles Sublett as Executive Director/Treasurer, Director and President at 100 North Broadway, Suite 1500, OKC, OK 73102. Charles Sublett is a Board Member of OCPA from Tulsa.
With the filing was a copy of a 990-EZ tax return for 2013 (which cannot be found on the IRS website for the non-profit with the same EIN -it also lists a $150,000 donation by an individual whose name was redacted in the Secretary of State filing). The tax return is signed by Charles Sublett and prepared by Edward DeBee of DeBee Gilchrist, A Professional Corporation, 100 North Broadway, Suite 1500, OKC, OK 73102. (Apparently now DeBee Clark Attorneys and Counselors at 1200 NW 63rd Suite 5000).
Tangentially, DeBee Clark was also used to create People for Opportunity, a PAC created by Dave Bond, Jonathan Small and Trent England – all of OCPA.
A 2016 Registration Renewal lists the mailing address as 1200 NW 63rd Suite 5000 and Charles Sublett as President and Director along with Mark Nichols (Vice President of Government and Public Affairs at Koch Industries) and Allen Wright (President of the Hustings Group) – both of whom are on the Board of Directors for the Oklahoma State Chamber.
Also tangentially, Allen Wright was involved in OCPA Impact (aka OCPA Oklahoma Policy Solutions Inc.) – a 501C4 organization where Dave Bond served as President and CEO from 2015-2019 (the last available filing for OCPA Impact on IRS.gov). From 2015 to 2018, Allen Wright served in various capacities within the C4. DeBee Cilchrist, A Professional Corporation is listed as the filing agent for that organization as well.
A 2017 Registration Renewal adds Bob Sullivan (former Secretary of Energy under Governor Frank Keating) and the group remains the same for 2018.
No renewals are logged with the OKSOS until 2021 when the address changes to 317 East 33rd in Edmond (the address for Neighborhood Veterinary Services). Officers for 2021 Included Sublett and Wright, but not Nichols and Meg Salyer (former OKC City/Council Member) and former OKC Mayor, Ron Norick were added.
A 2018 article by Brianna Bailey of The Frontier about dark money spending, records a spokesman for OCPA, David Autry, saying that a ‘tax preparer previously listed Catalyst as an OCPA-related nonprofit because of the shared board member, but there was no legal reason to do so.’
Ok, while there may be no “legal” reason, there’s enough overlap to see the connections nonetheless.
CATALYST OKLAHOMA 2015-16 FEC FILING BY STATE CHAMBER ATTORNEY FOR CONGRESSMAN TOM COLE
Catalyst Oklahoma is not a PAC – it’s a 501C4 private non-profit. It can donate either directly to candidates or to PACs and it doesn’t have to publish where its money comes from.
It doesn’t have to file with FEC, but it did in 2015-16 when it supported Tom Cole ($62,099.00) for Congress – a federal position that required the creation of a federal PAC.
The “About” section of the FEC filing has absolutely nothing to identify itself but a PO Box number which links to attorney (and former Oklahoma Senator and Secretary of State) Glenn Coffee, who became the Oklahoma Chamber’s attorney of record in 2013.
Attached to the FEC filing is a letter from attorney Coffee – in response to a letter from the FEC regarding Catalyst’s late filing – that describes efforts by Catalyst Oklahoma including a survey on the Mick Cornett/Ed Shadid mayoral race in 2015.
CATALYST OKLAHOMA’S WEBSITE IS A LIBERAL ORGANIZATION “OK UNITED”
Each 990 tax filing made by Catalyst Oklahoma, Inc., lists their website as www.okunited.org.
Oklahoma United’s main focus is to REPEAL CLOSED PRIMARIES IN OKLAHOMA – an absolutely disastrous idea for conservative politics. But then, conservative politics are not at ALL what this website touts. In fact, this is a website that uses words like “MODERATE” and “MIDDLE” and “CENTRIST” throughout.
Here’s what they’re “doing” in their own words:
Creating and leveraging existing media content to support and give voice to centrist views and representation for Oklahomans (translation: like Facebook factcheckers, they want to make sure right-sided views are eliminated)
Joining initiatives to improve voter registration, access, and turnout (translation: pushing for motor/voter laws and pushing for absentee voting?)
Identifying and addressing obstacles that contribute to partisan fringe domination of Oklahoma politics (translation: working to take out true conservatives in elections)
Advocating for the Forgotten Middle in Oklahoma (translation: putting money into PACS and elections to sway voters to vote for more government and less freedom)
This is NOT what OCPA says it stands for on its website, but then, it did go full bore for the IMPLEMENTATION OF MANAGED CARE (the step into a single-payer/socialist healthcare system) in Oklahoma this session (2022).
CATALYST OKLAHOMA SUPPORTS CONSERVATIVES IN 2018 GOES QUIET 4 YEARS AND COMES BACK IN 2022 SUPPORTING ANTI-GRASSROOTS CANDIDATES WITH $288,704.11 (4/1-8/10)
A late 2018 Ethics Commission filing for Catalyst Oklahoma shows the address as 1200 NW 63rd Street supporting Cathy Costello for Commissioner of Labor.
Early 2022 Ethics reports for Catalyst Oklahoma carry an address of 817 East 33rd Street Edmond (not 317 as listed on the 2021 OKSOS filing), which corresponds to a building in an office complex off 33rd that has no sign outside but isn’t empty.
A search for that address connects it to the Boggy Depot Land and Cattle Co, incorporated 7/20/22 by Allen Wright. A search for the post office box listed on the Ethics filing returns no associations at all.
Ethics reports for Catalyst Oklahoma from 4/1/22-8/10/22 show that $288,704.11 was paid to support only four candidates – Kristen Thompson against Jake Merrick (Thompson won the Primary outright), Darcy Jech against Brady Butler, Hunter Zearley against Jack Stewart (Stewart won the Primary outright) and Ally Seifried against Jarrin Jackson. CAMP runs candidates Seifried and Jech.
This seems odd, but there is a connection between OCPA and Fount Holland.
This lack of ethics isn’t the only issue I have with his tactics, however, which is why I will continue my series on the Corruption Belt with some of the more enlightening information I’ve stumbled upon as I’ve continued to research Dark Money influence and its effect on Oklahoma elections.
For now, know this – true Conservatives will have a horrible time winning elections in this state until we can change Ethics laws to prevent the endless merry-go-round of money through 501C4’s and PACs and the influence spread by sitting legislators who use their campaign ‘war chests’ to fund the campaigns of other legislators and candidates they believe will help their efforts. So be prepared. By the end of this series, you’ll either need to act, or sit on your hands and watch the Bible belt continue to rust into the Corruption Belt while Oklahoma turns blue.
Dishonest and disingenuous mailers are suddenly being sent out state-wide against current state auditor Cindy Byrd. According to Nolan Clay of The Oklahoman, candidate McQuillen has filed bankruptcy twice and is not a licensed accountant – unlike Byrd.
A recent article in the Tulsa World by Randy Krehbiel did a wonderful job of summarizing the dark money being poured into the race against Cindy Byrd.
According to Krehbiel:
An Ethics Commission filing shows that Truth PAC, based in Oklahoma City, bought $280,596.60 in television time for McQuillen earlier this week. It has reserved more than $680,000 in air time, but it is not clear whether all of that is for the auditor and inspector campaign.
Records show that Truth PAC was created June 9 with Matthew Parker as chairman and treasurer. Parker is a business partner of Fount Holland.
The filings do not show the source of the $280,000.
The mailers carry the stamp of Holland and Parker’s company, CAMP, and the name “American Values First” and a Tulsa address that is a box at an office supply store.
Who else is CAMP working for? Chances are many of the mailers you’re getting in your mailbox have their sticker on it. Just today I received CAMP mailers:
against John O’Connor
for Steve McQuillen
for Grant Green – running for Senate in District 28
If you look under the Postage Paid stamp, you’ll see CAMP – Fount Holland’s organization.
Why does it matter that CAMP would be involved in any race? After all, they are an organization paid to do a job – promote candidates. They’re simply doing their jobs.
In 2016, Fount Holland, Joy Hofmeister and others had charges filed against them for violating state campaign laws – conspiring to use dark money in attack ads against then-state superintendent Janet Barresi.
Dark money should concern every voter. Money being poured into races to influence voters – many of whom do not do their own due diligence by researching the candidates – puts those of us who do our civic duty and due diligence at a disadvantage by influencing voters we can’t reach.
This is ESPECIALLY TRUE IN THE STATE AUITOR’S RACE.
When Steve McQuillin last filed for bankruptcy, his attorney told the judge he was retired, had severe health problems and did not intend to return to working.
…He said his two bankruptcies – in 2002 and 2020 – should not be held against him. He blamed the first one on a marriage that didn’t work and the second on medical expenses after being hospitalized in Texas for a kidney stone.
WHAT? The Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector (OSAI):
…as the chief auditor for the State, is responsible for auditing the financial accounts of all government agencies within Oklahoma. The State Auditor and Inspector also performs performance audits and special investigative audits upon request by certain state officials and upon petition by citizens.
And we’re supposed to believe that a person who has two bankruptcies in his credit history and isn’t even a licensed accountant is someone we should trust to oversee the OSAI office?
Cindy Byrd won the National Association of State Auditors Comptrollers and Treasurers (NSAA) Award for Excellence for her forensic report on EPIC Charter Schools.
Clearly, Auditor Byrd is not only doing the job she’s paid to do – protect Oklahoma’s tax dollars – but excelling in that job.
Don’t be fooled by disingenuous (the SAI cannot stop flow of immigrants across the border or stop CRT in schools as many of the mailers – no matter how much “war” McQuillin has declared “on the woke left”) and inaccurate mailers paid for by people who don’t want you to know their identities.
Auditor Byrd is completing an HISTORIC audit of the Oklahoma State Department of Education. An audit which ROPE has asked to be accomplished for over a decade. Byrd needs to be able to finish that job and ROPE is very much looking forward to the results of her audit.
Based upon the successes of her previous four years, Auditor Byrd should definitely be supported for another four and these dark money groups pushing someone clearly not an appropriate fit for the SAI job, should be outed for trying to do just that.
