Another layer of whitewash.
It’s what Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Bob Anthony called the move by fellow commissioners Todd Hiett and Kim David to hire an “independent consultant” to review the $6 billion in 2021 fuel cost cases pending before the Commission.
“It’s so restricted as to be absurd,” said Anthony in reacting to the move.
“I might also call it another layer of whitewash in this ongoing cover-up. The Commission is going to hire someone to investigate the prudency of the 2021 fuel costs, but first it is going to blindfold him and tie his hands behind his back.”
What perturbed Anthony was the restriction that the outside expert would not be allowed to look at any new evidence in the fuel adjustment cases pending before the regulatory body.
“He is not even given the OCC’s review authority to ask for information.”
The Commissioner, in continuing his criticism, said if the expert knows about additional information the Commission should examine, it won’t matter. The expert also won’t be allowed to examine costs already passed through to ratepayers that have millions of dollars in discrepancies.
“It apparently doesn’t matter that those “final” determinations were made when Commissioners Hiett and Murphy irresponsibly approved “blank check” bond financing orders that didn’t even have specified amounts!” charged Anthony who called the Tuesday decision illogical and wishful thinking by “people worried their past mistakes or worse might be revealed by such a re-examination.”
He wasn’t finished in his criticism.
“The truth, as I see it, is that by approving those “blank check” bond financing orders, Commissioners Hiett and Murphy gambled with the ratepayers money and lost more than a BILLION dollars. And now, when the outraged public calls for an investigation into what went wrong, Commissioner Hiett proposes organizing this game of blind-man’s bluff and not only blindfolding the investigator, but hogtieing him too.”