A spokesman for the Oklahoma Corporation Commission for the first time revealed a man who was allegedly groped by Commissioner Todd Hiett leading to calls for Hiett to resign and targeted over his rate case votes has never come before the commission in public instances as suggested by Hiett’s detractors.
In response to a recent OK Energy Today story regarding Rep. Tom Gann’s Supreme Court challenge of a PSO rate case in which Commissioner Hiett participated, spokesman Trey Davis wrote the alleged victim or man whom the purported improper conduct reported occurred has neither reported the incident to police in Minneapolis, Minnesota nor filed a complaint with the Corporation Commission.
“It is also important to note this individual does not appear (and never has) in cases that come before the Commissioners. That has become a repeated misstatement of fact that bears correcting as it is indisputably fabricated.”
Over the past several months, some officials have claimed the alleged male victim represented major utilities in the state and perhaps made public appearances before the Commission. Their publicly-stated beliefs charged the conflict might create instances of leverage by either Commissioner Hiett and perhaps by the man who represented the utilities.
A Kansas Corporation Commission employee who witnessed the Hiett incident at a hotel bar last summer in Minneapolis, Minnesota stated, “Thankfully I was able to steel myself quickly, and knowing that —- represents a company who goes before the Oklahoma Commission, I recognized how horrible and awkward this situation was for —-. I thought, OK, you have just witnessed a sexual assault and we need to get —- out of here.”
The witness was qouted by Oklahoman reporter Nolan Clay in his articles that first reported the June 2024 incident. The hypens in the quote represent the identity of the alleged victim.
Davis also denied the Minnesota incident was being investigated by the Oklahoma Ethics Commission. However, the Ethics Commission has only stated it was investigating Commissioner Hiett for a violation of ethics Rule 4 or Conflict of Interest. No one has any public knowledge that the Minnesota incident is or is not under investigation.
Our article mistakenly referred to a recent order signed by the Chief Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme court. We cited Chief Justice M. John Kane IV in error. He was replaced in January by Dustin P. Rowe.
We reported the Supreme Court order allowed Rep. Gann to use minutes and documents of some of the Corporation Commission actions in his challenge of the PSO rate case. However, we should have correctly reported the Court instead agreed to Rep. Gann’s request to retain the PSO rate case appeal of the commission’s order. His case could still be dismissed.