Stories made possible by open records laws
Stories made possible by open records laws

Published: March 21, 2008

Following are some of the major stories The Oklahoman could not have published in the past year without open government laws.

When Oklahoma City officials wanted to upgrade the Ford Center to lure an NBA franchise, they set a March 4 vote to extend a 1-cent sales tax and pay for $121 million in improvements. Plans were unveiled in city council meetings and documents related to the ballot were easily available because of laws protecting the openness of government records.

Tech Sgt. Dustin Thorson killed his daughter, 9-year-old Jourdain, and his son, 4-year-old Dylan, Feb. 25 at their home in the base housing area at Tinker Air Force Base before turning the gun on himself. Court records available on the Internet showed Thorson had threatened to harm them before. Thorson's ex-wife had asked a judge for a protective order in May 2007. According to court records, Thorson had threatened to kill both the children if the couple's divorce went through. Such court records may not be available for long. The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled earlier this month to take records off the Internet, fearing thieves could use them to steal identities.

In October, The Oklahoman released the results of an investigation showing the Department of Human Services granted waivers to more than 90 former criminals allowing them to work or live in day cares. Among those granted waivers were a man convicted of shooting a police officer, as well as admitted child abusers and prostitutes. The Oklahoman obtained copies of the agency waivers through the Open Records Act.

Lance Cargill stepped down from his position as speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives in January after an investigation by The Oklahoman showed he was late in paying property taxes on his Harrah law office six years in a row. Cargill was one of several legislators found to be delinquent on their taxes after a check of public records.

An indictment handed down by federal authorities in January accused Democratic State Auditor and Inspector Jeff McMahan and his wife of conspiring with a businessman who paid for several trips, bought her jewelry and provided more than $100,000 in illegal campaign contributions. The indictment came six months after The Oklahoman reported on the FBI seizing a piece of jewelry and campaign records connected to the case through a search warrant.

Staff Writer Bryan Dean

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