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BLACKOUT PERIOD: Please note the commission will not accept complaints that allege a candidate or a candidate committee violated the ethics rules during an election cycle. This "Blackout" period begins the first day that the state election board accepts declarations of candidacy, and it ends on the last day of the general election.

File a Complaint

Make a Confidential Complaint

To lodge a confidential complaint, please use one of the following:

Complaints have the following requirements:

  • Must be submitted in writing.
  • Certify that the complainant has personal knowledge of the wrongdoing, having personally witnessed it.
  • Specify the Ethics Rule(s) violated and provide sufficient details or documentation, including the names of any individuals or entities involved.
  • BLACKOUT PERIOD: THE COMMISSION WILL NOT ACCEPT COMPLAINTS THAT ALLEGE A CANDIDATE, OR A CANDIDATE COMMITTEE VIOLATED THE ETHICS RULES DURING AN ELECTION CYCLE. THIS "BLACKOUT" PERIOD BEGINS THE FIRST DAY THAT THE STATE ELECTION BOARD ACCEPTS DECLARATIONS OF CANDIDACY, AND IT ENDS ON THE LAST DAY OF THE GENERAL ELECTION.

Please note that the Commission only enforces the Oklahoma Ethics Laws/Rules and has jurisdiction only over campaign finance, financial disclosures for elected or governor appointed officials, lobbying and conflict of interest/misuse of office for state employees and officers. The Commission does not have jurisdiction over conflict of interest matters of employees of local political subdivisions (county, municipal/city, and school) If you have a conflict of interest or misuse of office complaint about a county employee, please contact the relevant county ethics agency or county human resources department. The Commission does not have authority to act against private companies.

What Happens When You File a Complaint

When the Commission staff receive a complaint, here is what happens:

  • Investigation: The Commission will review the complaint to determine if the Commission has jurisdiction; staff may refer the matter to another agency if appropriate.  The Commission staff will review the complaint as appropriate and then submit preliminary findings to the Commission for review and consideration. 
  • The Commission may:
    • Determine the complaint does not warrant further action, and may dismiss the complaint;
    • Determine there is probable cause of a violation and decide to authorize a formal investigation; or
    • Choose to issue a guidance letter instead of taking further enforcement action. After a formal investigation is authorized, the Commission may interview witnesses and subpoena documents.
  • Confidentiality: The Commission’s investigations are confidential by law. The Commission does not inform the public regarding the status of any ongoing investigation.  Even if you are the one who lodged the complaint, the Commission may be unable to give you any information about the status of the complaint.
  • The Commission may:
    • authorize settlement negotiations at any stage – either before or after finalizing an Investigation.
    • Cases in which there is a violation either admitted or per se are often settled without a formal hearing. Some examples of cases resolved pursuant to settlement agreements can be found in our data set of settlement agreements. Settlement agreements are not confidential. 

Once an investigation is authorized, the Respondent is given the opportunity to file a response to subpoenas, the Notice of Allegations issued by the Commission staff, and participate in interviews.  Commission staff will investigate the matter and keep the Commission informed. If Respondent does not respond and/or provides insufficient response as deemed by the Commission to refute the alleged violation, then the Commission may authorize prosecution of its Rule violation in the applicable district court.  At that point, the investigation becomes public, and the court filing is not considered confidential.

Last Modified on Aug 19, 2024
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