Cash and Carry

The lead in today's Tulsa World story about Speaker Lance Cargill's questionable shakedown of lobbyists , including scheduling offsite appointments with them in 15-minute increments, is remarkable given his push this week for an ethics reform bill that would, at a minimum, cost the state an additional minimum $400,000. Read today's full story here.

Lobbyists exposed the GOP shakedown last year and new reports indicate that the practice, styled after the GOP K Street Project that was largely responsible for the downfall of that party in Congress in November, is continuing under the leadership of Cargill at 23rd and Lincoln. Last year's scandal at the State Capitol was "pay to play." This year's growing scandal is "cash and carry." The central figure in each of these unethical schemes: Lance Cargill.

For more on this story read The Oklahoman, The Oklahoma Gazette, and The Norman Transcript.

Stay tuned as the story continues to develop...