OKGOP Chairman calls out redistricting petition head on transparency hypocrisy

GOP CHAIRMAN CALLS FOR REDISTRICTING PETITIONS HEAD TO STEP DOWN FROM FIO POST, RELEASE DONORS, EXPENSES

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK, July 27, 2020 – The chairman of the Oklahoma Republican Party called today for Andy Moore, the executive director of Freedom of Information Oklahoma, to resign his position and immediately release the names of all donors and expenses to SQ 804 and SQ 810, the initiative petitions to change Oklahoma’s redistricting process of which Moore heads. SQ 804 was ruled invalid by the Oklahoma Supreme Court, and SQ 810 was recently withdrawn.

“The irony of Mr. Moore’s conflict of interest is beyond comprehension, and must be brought to light,” said David McLain. “On one hand, he heads an organization whose mission statement is ‘promoting open and transparent government in Oklahoma.’ On the other hand, he also has led two initiative petition campaigns which have never made public who their liberal, and likely out-of-state, donors and key supporters are. This is blatant hypocrisy, and while I seriously doubt Mr. Moore will comply, I call on him to promptly release all donors and expenses to SQ 804 and SQ 810, and resign from his position with FIO.  If he fails to do either, I request FIO’s Board of Directors immediately remove him.”


Freedom of Information Oklahoma is a well-respected and longstanding organization in Oklahoma, and is supported by hundreds of well-known and respected business owners, attorneys, journalists and civic leaders from across the state. McLain said the organization deserves for its executive director to display a far better example.

“Just last week when discussing SQ 810, Mr. Moore was quoted in part saying”, ‘voters want transparency and accountability.’ Even though the Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled SQ 804 invalid, and Mr. Moore withdrew SQ 810, he has absolutely no wiggle room, in my opinion, to straddle both sides of the transparency issue. It is very disingenuous, and he should take appropriate action immediately to correct this obvious disregard for doing what is right.”