The latest in the state’s investigation of who put a tracking device on the pickup truck of Moore Rep. Mark McBride and the Texas political consultant subpoenaed in the case.
Now the Wind Coalition’s president Jeff Clark denies hiring George Shipley or Shipley’s company to do opposition research on McBride because he opposes the wind industry.
“I have not hired, nor has the Wind Coalition hired, any entity—to conduct opposition research on candidates or officeholders,” Clark told The Oklahoman this week. Clark said Shipley nor his company was ever hired by the Wind Coalition which is headquartered in Austin, Texas, same city where Shipley has offices.
A Texas judge is to hold a hearing on Friday to determine if Shipley, known as Dr. Dirt, has to comply with an Oklahoma multicounty grand jury subpoena. The subpoena was issued after the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation concluded it was Shipley who hired a private investigator to put the electronic tracking device on McBride’s pickup truck in December.
The legislator immediately blamed the wind industry when he discovered the tracker and notified police. The newspaper reported this week that Shipley had the same address as the Wind Coalition. But Clark told The Oklahoman the information was outdated and his organization had not officed in the 15-story building since 2015.