The Oklahoma Ethics Commission issued a public reprimand to Insurance Commissioner Carroll Fisher—the third time he has been rebuked for violating ethics rules.
Fisher was reprimanded for using his office to solicit from New Star Corp. a custom desk valued at $4,398 and a credenza valued at $6,297.
The reprimand, announced by Ethics Commission Chairman John Luton of Muskogee, comes a day after a House committee report recommended the impeachment of Fisher for neglect of duty, corruption and incompetency.
“I guess they come in a half a six pack,” Fisher quipped of the reprimands. Then he said he is considering issuing “my own public reprimand” to Marilyn Hughes, Ethics Commission executive director.
He accused Hughes of “her own unethical practices” for releasing information about the reprimand before he had received the Ethics Commission document.
Hughes said that by order of the Ethics Commission, a news release is always issued on the same day the Commission approves the reprimand document. She said the document was faxed to the insurance agency about the same time.
Fisher said he was curious why he has been held up to public scorn, while former Gov. Frank Keating once got a private reprimand from the commission.
“Would there be something wrong with me getting a private reprimand?” he asked.
The state official denied personally soliciting the furnishings, but said he thought the gifts were “a good thing for the state” because they saved money for taxpayers.
He said no one ever asked a favor of the insurance agency for donations of furniture, which was returned to New Star after Gov. Brad Henry declined to accept the items as gifts to the state.
The reprimand said ethics commissioners took into account the fact that the items were returned, but that “is not a defense to the allegations and does not cure the wrongdoing. It does nothing to remedy the fact that you misused your office to solicit things of value” in violation of ethics rules.”
Fisher, 64, also faces two trials in district court on five felony charges tied to operation of a continuing education fund for insurance agents, a charity set up in Fisher’s name and $1,000 political contribution placed in Fisher’s personal checking account.
Despite his mounting legal problems, Fisher has vowed repeatedly that he will not resign.
The state House will return in special session Sept. 9 to consider five articles of impeachment against Fisher. A Senate trial—the first since 1965—will occur if an impeachment resolution is adopted by the House. If Fisher is found guilty by the Senate, he will be removed from office.
The committee’s report said Fisher demonstrated neglect of duty, incompetency or corruption by mishandling money raised for the education program, obtaining personnel records of a political opponent from an insurance company, accepting gifts from entities regulated by the state, improperly soliciting donations to his charity and depositing the political donation into his personal account.
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