Former Libertarian candidate for Corporation Commission Todd Hagopian filed a friend of the court motion this week in the lawsuit seeking to remove Todd Hiett as Corporation Commissioner in a challenge over a conflict of interest.
Hagopian’s Amicus Curaie brief was in support of former Rep. Mike Reynolds who filed suit with the Oklahoma Supreme Court claiming Hiett is in violation of the state constitution by serving on the board of directors of SpiritBank and on the commission.
Hagopian raised the very same issue during his 2020 campaign and in his filing this week said the Supreme Court should declare Hiett’s office vacant because his membership on the Board of Directors of SpiritBank is “in direct violation of the Oklahoma Constitution, Art. 9, Sec. 16.”
The Libertarian also says Hiett is in violation of his Oath of Office, alleging that Hiett made a statement under oath that he knows is untrue.
“In doing so, he is aiming to benefit himself while violating the constitution and the trust of the citizens who elected him to serve,” stated Hagopian in the brief.
“In truth, Commissioner Hiett was in violation of the State Constitution from the moment he perjured himself by taking the oath for an office for which he never met the qualifications, at a time when he was already receiving “other compensation” for conflicting SpiritBank duties,” added Hagopian.
He further claimed in the filing that Corporation Commissioners are supposed to be free from conflicts of interest. Hagopian recounted how he raised the issue last year “but Commissioner Hiett deceived the news media, and ultimately the voters, with denials deliberately worded to deceive the public.”
His brief also contends there is a “smoking gun” in the issue as Hiett admits to recusing himself from bank board votes on any loans and financial matters pertaining to energy-related firm.
Commissioner Hiett has until later this month to respond to the original lawsuit.
Click here to view Hagopian’s filing.
file:///C:/Users/User/Downloads/Amicus%20Brief%20-%20Hagopian%20-%207-12-2021.pdf
