Former Oklahoma Senate President Morgan charged with conspiracy, extortion and bribery

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Former Oklahoma Senate President Morgan charged with conspiracy, extortion and bribery

2011-04-01 05:16:08 GMT+7 (ICT)

OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA (BNO NEWS) -- Former Oklahoma Senate President Pro Term Mike Morgan on Thursday was charged with multiple counts of conspiracy, extortion and bribery, prosecutors informed.

Morgan, 56, of Stillwater, Oklahoma was charged along attorney Martin Stringer, 70, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and lobbyist William Andrew Skeith, 52, of Edmond, Oklahoma.

The 63-count indictment includes charges of conspiracy, extortion, bribery, and mail fraud. According to it, the individuals had businesses pay Senator Morgan for favorable treatment in the legislature and with state officials, disguised as fees for Morgan's services as an attorney.

"It is unfortunate when some politicians choose to betray the trust of the very people who expect and deserve their elected officials to represent the constituents' best interest and not the politicians' self-serving financial interest," said FBI Special Agent in Charge James Finch.

One scheme involved a business, identified as Company A, which was one of Stringer's clients. In 2005, this business was trying to get state and local approval for a new landfill and when faced with opposition placed Senator Morgan on a legal retainer of a flat $50,000 per year.

In exchange, Morgan used his position as an elected official to keep harmful legislation from passing and to push for bills that would cut back the power of county commissioners to regulate landfills. Company A paid Senator Morgan $141,664.52 from 2005 until 2008, when he left the Senate.

Starting at the end of 2004, another business (Company began paying Senator Morgan at a rate of $5,000 per month as the business was hoping to build a power plant in northeastern Oklahoma with the Grand River Dam Authority.

By 2008, Company B had paid $250,000 supposedly for serving as one of its attorneys. However, Morgan was allegedly taking money in exchange for official acts and change state law to benefit the business.

The other scheme involved twelve $1,000 bribe payments made in 2006 and 2007 from a business (Company C) that owned assisted-living centers to Morgan. The Oklahoma Department of Health was attempting to impose regulations on assisted-living facilities which put Company B in difficulties.

According to the indictment, in exchange for payments disguised as legal fees, Senator Morgan authored Senate Bill 738, which became law in 2007 and helped Company C by lifting some of its regulatory burdens.

On each of the conspiracy, extortion, and wire fraud counts, each defendant faces a maximum penalty of twenty years in prison and a fine of $250,000. Morgan faces a sentence of ten years in prison and a fine of $250,000. The indictment also seeks forfeiture from each of the defendants in the amount of the proceeds of the crimes.

"The crimes charged in this indictment go to the heart of our republic and how our system of government operates," said U.S. Attorney Coats. "When elected officials decide public policy based on secret payments, they abandon this country's core principle that government should be of the people, by the people, and for the people."

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