Ethics Commission confirms investigation of Corporation Commissioner Todd Hiett

 

The State Ethics Commission confirmed this week it is conducting an investigation into complaints against Corporation Commissioner Todd Hiett who stands accused of criminal wrongdoing over drunken incidents last year and violation of state ethics rules.

The complaints were originally filed by Reps. Tom Gann, Kevin West and Rick West. NonDoc reported the ethics probe centers on Hiett’s votes for rate hikes involving Oklahoma Gas and Electric Company. They claimed Hiett violated Ethics Rule 4.7 which prohibits state officers from taking part in issues for which their impartialilty could be questioned.

NonDoc reported the Ethics Commission publicly admitted Thursday that Hiett is the target of an investigation. The publication quoted executive director Lee Anne Bruce Boone that the commission “is actively investigating a complaint” against Hiett.

“The complaint is entitled ‘In the Matter of Commissioner Todd Hiett’ regarding an alleged conflict of interest, Rule 4, violation,” Bruce Boone wrote, reported NonDoc.

The three legislators went to the Supreme Court last year in a failed attempt to stop Hiett from voting on rate cases involving PSO, OGE and ONG. They claimed that one of the drunken incidents involving Commissioner Hiett occurred at a national regulators’ conference in Minnesota where he allegedly groped a man at a hotel bar. The victim reportedly had represented one of the three utilities before the corporation commission but has not volunteered to identify himself.

The trio of Republican Representatives also said last year they had taken their complaint to the Oklahoma Ethics Commission, but until now, it was not publicly confirmed whether an investigation was underway.

Commissioner Hiett responded to an inquiry by NonDoc

“I don’t see this being newsworthy as Rep. Gann announced his conflict-of-interest complaint months ago in violation of the Ethics Commission’s rules of confidentiality,” Hiett said in a text message. “I have participated in the investigation and clearly demonstrated there is no basis for a conflict of interest. I feel certain the commission will dismiss the complaint and see it for what it is — a political witch hunt.”

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