NEWKIRK, Okla. (AP) - Two former county commissioners in Oklahoma have been charged with misconduct related to allegations of ignoring competitive bidding laws.
Former Kay County Commissioner Tyson Rowe, 37, was charged Friday with a felony racketeering and embezzlement, and misdemeanor counts of willful violation of law regulating official conduct. Former Kay County Commissioner Dee Schieber, 64, is facing the same misdemeanor charge.
The charges came after an audit released in December 2015 alleged that Rowe engaged in a series of improper transactions that involved paying himself. The audit also alleged the two commissioners violated competitive bidding laws in the way they awarded several million dollars in public construction and reconstruction projects from July 2011 through January 2015, The Oklahoman (https://bit.ly/2nToTit ) reported.
Rowe has denied the allegations, saying he didn’t believe “we ever did anything wrong.”
“Every bid that we ever let, or anything that we ever bought or contracted, our district attorney, Brian Hermanson, was in the meeting and he looked over every contract that was there,” Rowe said at the time.
Hermanson has denied that his office approved the questioned transactions.
Rowe’s attorney declined comment after the charges were filed. Schieber’s attorney couldn’t be reached for comment.
In a sworn affidavit, a state audit manager of Kay County said Friday that commissioners approved a payment of $21,700 for two of the county projects to River Ridge Construction.
“Rowe, as a county commissioner, had essentially contracted for and approved county funds to be paid to himself through River Ridge Construction serving as an intermediary,” Audit Manager Brenda Holt stated.
Rowe and Schieber have been released on bond. Both are scheduled to appear in court later this month.
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Information from: The Oklahoman, https://www.newsok.com
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