The 2010 Oklahoma political corruption investigation was a

criminal investigation Criminal investigation is an applied science that involves the study of facts that are then used to inform criminal trials. A complete criminal investigation can include Search and seizure, searching, interviews, interrogations, Evidence (law), ...

that focused on whether Oklahoma State Representative Randy Terrill (R-Moore), State Representative

Mike Christian Michael Christian is an Australian radio presenter. Along with his co-host Mel Greig, he made a prank call to the hospital caring for Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge that led to the suicide of one of the nurses. Career In February 200 ...

(R-Oklahoma City), and State Senator

Debbe Leftwich Debbe Leftwich is a politician from the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Leftwich was a member of the Oklahoma Senate from 2003 until 2010. She won the vacant seat through a special election after the death of her husband and former senator Keith Leftwi ...

(D-Oklahoma City) engaged in

political corruption Political corruption is the use of powers by government officials or their network contacts for illegitimate private gain. Forms of corruption vary but can include bribery, lobbying, extortion, cronyism, nepotism, parochialism, patronage, influen ...

involving the Office of the Oklahoma Chief Medical Examiner.

Background

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) had suffered from a large backlog of cases due to a low number of physicians. In early 2010, the Board of Medicolegal Investigations, which is the governing body of OCME, placed Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Collie Trant, M.D., on

administrative leave Administrative leave is a temporary leave from a job assignment, with pay and benefits intact. Generally, the term is reserved for employees of non-business institutions such as schools, police, and hospitals. Definition The definition of adm ...

for undisclosed reasons. Within days, the Board terminated Dr. Trant. Soon after Dr. Trants' termination,

Governor of Oklahoma The governor of Oklahoma is the head of government of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor serves as the head of the Oklahoma Executive (government), executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma. The gover ...

Brad Henry Charles Bradford Henry (born July 10, 1963) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 26th governor of Oklahoma from 2003 to 2011. A Democrat, he previously served in the Oklahoma Senate from 1992 to 2003. As of 2025, he is the last ...

directed State Health Commissioner

Terry Cline Terry L. Cline (born 1958) is an American psychologist and public health policy specialist from Oklahoma. Cline resigned on October 30, 2017 from the Oklahoma State Department of Health. He has served in various positions under Governors of Ok ...

to review the operations of OCEM and make a report recommending both operational and statutory changes. In late March, Commissioner Cline released his report on OCME. In his report, Cline recommended both greater oversight authority on the part of the Medicolegal Investigations Board as well as restructuring the organization of OCME. Cline outline three models for possible reorganization but recommended the model that made the most sweeping changes. Under currently State law, the Chief Medical Examiner, who must be a licensed physician, is the executive head of OCME, responsible for all operations and administration of the agency. Cline recommended that State law be changed to establish a non-physician Administrator as head of OCME who would be responsible for all agency operations, with the position of Chief Medical Examiner overseeing all medical operations and reporting to the Administrator. Cline pointed to the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services and the

Oklahoma State Department of Health The Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) is a department of the government of Oklahoma under the supervision of the Oklahoma Secretary of Health. The department is responsible for protecting the health of all Oklahomans and providing other ...

as examples of this model. Following the release of Cline's report,

President pro tempore of the Oklahoma Senate The president ''pro tempore'' of the Oklahoma Senate is the second-highest-ranking official of the Oklahoma Senate and the highest-ranking state senator. The Oklahoma Constitution designates the Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma as the highest-rank ...

Glenn Coffee Virgil Glenn Coffee (born January 20, 1967) is an American lawyer and Republican politician from the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Coffee was the 30th Oklahoma Secretary of State, having been appointed by Governor Mary Fallin. He served from January ...

and

Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives The Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives is the speaker (politics), presiding officer of the lower house of the Oklahoma Legislature, the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The speaker exercises administrative and procedural function ...

Chris Benge Chris Benge (born September 9, 1962) is an American Republican politician from the U.S. state of Oklahoma, who served as the 33rd Oklahoma Secretary of State from 2013 to 2016. Benge was appointed to serve as Secretary of State by Oklahoma Gov ...

proposed Senate Bill 738 which would have enacted many of Cline's recommendations, including the establishment of a Transition Coordinator. The Transition Coordinator, as provided by SB738, was to oversee the transition of OCME from its current location in Oklahoma City to Edmond and received an annual salary of $80,000. SB738 passed the Senate 45-0 and passed House of Representatives 58–40. Immediately following the passage of SB738, Democratic State Senator

announced that she would not seek reelection. On the same day, Republican State Representative

announced that he would seek Leftwich's seat. Citing legislative misconduct, Governor Henry vetoed SB738 on June 6 after being briefed by

Oklahoma County Oklahoma County is a county located in the central part of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of the 2020 census, the population was 796,292, making it the most populous county in Oklahoma. The county seat is Oklahoma City, the state capital and ...

District Attorney In the United States, a district attorney (DA), county attorney, county prosecutor, state attorney, state's attorney, prosecuting attorney, commonwealth's attorney, or solicitor is the chief prosecutor or chief law enforcement officer represen ...

David Prater on his ongoing investigation over political corruption involving that bill. Days later, DA Prater announced that he had launched a political corruption investigation of State Representative Randy Terrill (R-Moore), State Senator Leftwich and State Representative Christian over allegations that those legislators conspired to use SB738 to create a state job specifically for Senator Leftwich in OCME in exchange for her agreeing not to seek re-election. This, according to allegations, would make way for Representative Christian to fill her vacant Senate seat.

Timeline

*January 2009 - The Board appointed Dr. Collie Trant, M.D., to serve as the Chief Medical Examiner. *February 2, 2010 - The Board placed Dr. Trant on

with pay. *February 5 - Dr. Trant's employment is terminated by the Board. No reason was given by the Board for Collie's termination. *February 10 - Governor

directs State Health Commissioner

to review the OCME *February 16 - Dr. Trant filed a

whistle-blower Whistleblowing (also whistle-blowing or whistle blowing) is the activity of a person, often an employee, revealing information about activity within a private or public organization that is deemed illegal, immoral, illicit, unsafe, unethical or ...

lawsuit against the State of Oklahoma. *March 23 - State Health Commissioner Terry Cline releases his report on OCME and recommends several changes, including a restructure of the agency *March 31 - Oklahoma State Representative Randy Terrill (R-Moore) launched a legislative investigation into the operations of the OCME *May 24 - OCME Chief Administrative Officer Tom Jordan, the highest-ranking officer at the OCME at the time, announces his resignation effective June 14 after only six months on the job *May 27 - Senate Bill 738, approving many of the changes recommended by Commissioner Cline, passes the Senate 45–0 and passed House of Representatives 58-40 *June 5 - The Board appoints Dr. Andrew Sibley, a 48-year-old senior forensic pathologist with the OCME's Tulsa Office, as Interim Chief Medical Examiner *June 6 - Citing legislative misconduct, Governor Henry vetoed SB 738 after being briefed by

David Prater on his ongoing investigation over political corruption involving the legislation *June 8 - Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater launched a political corruption investigation of State Representative Randy Terrill (R-Moore), State Senator

(D-Oklahoma City) and State Representative

(R-Oklahoma City) over allegations of those legislators conspiring use SB738 to create a state job specifically for Senator Leftwich in OCME in exchange for her agreeing not to seek re-election, making way for Representative Christian to fill her vacant Senate seat *June 9 - Reports from the

Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) is an independent state law enforcement agency of the government of Oklahoma. The OSBI assists the county sheriff offices and city police departments of the state, and works independent of the Ok ...

surface showing that Interim Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Sibley was the subject of a

sexual harassment Sexual harassment is a type of harassment based on the sex or gender of a victim. It can involve offensive sexist or sexual behavior, verbal or physical actions, up to bribery, coercion, and assault. Harassment may be explicit or implicit, wit ...

lawsuit while he lived in

Tucson, Arizona Tucson (; ; ) is a city in Pima County, Arizona, United States, and its county seat. It is the second-most populous city in Arizona, behind Phoenix, Arizona, Phoenix, with a population of 542,630 in the 2020 United States census. The Tucson ...

and another sexual harassment lawsuit from a fellow employee during Sibley's tenure at the OCME's Tulsa OfficeSexual Harassment Allegations Against Interim Medical Examiner Also Reported in Oklahoma
06-09-2010 *August 16–18 – DA Prater, with the permission of

Oklahoma Attorney General The attorney general of Oklahoma is the State Attorney General for the state of Oklahoma. The attorney general serves as the chief legal and law enforcement officer of the State of Oklahoma and head of the Office of the Oklahoma Attorney General ...

Drew Edmondson William Andrew Edmondson (born October 12, 1946) is an American lawyer and politician from the state of Oklahoma. A member of the Democratic Party, Edmondson served as the 16th Attorney General of Oklahoma from 1995 to 2011. Prior to his elect ...

, convenes a

grand jury A grand jury is a jury empowered by law to conduct legal proceedings, investigate potential criminal conduct, and determine whether criminal charges should be brought. A grand jury may subpoena physical evidence or a person to testify. A grand ju ...

to review the evidence of the political corruption case.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:2010 Oklahoma Political Corruption Investigation

Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...

Political scandals in Oklahoma Oklahoma Political Corruption Investigation, 2010 Oklahoma Political Corruption Investigation, 2010