Lee Anne Bruce Boone, executive director of the Oklahoma Ethics Commission, speaks with a reporter following a meeting of the board at the state Capitol April 10, 2025. (Photo by Emma Murphy/Oklahoma Voice)
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma Ethics Commission on Thursday unanimously voted to consider an Advisory Opinion Request from a state lawmaker concerning candidate bank accounts.
In a written request from Rep. Judd Strom, R-Copan, dated Sept. 9, the lawmaker asked the Commission to clarify a rule regarding bank accounts for candidate contribution holdings. The current rule, as he said he understands it, requires a candidate or officeholder to close their current bank account, open a new one and transfer carry-over funds with each new election cycle, even when running for reelection of the same office.
“I have found the action to be cumbersome, be confusing, and possibly lead to the unintended consequence of observers being misled by the transfer of funds,” Strom wrote.
The commission is expected to hear public feedback on a preliminary, written opinion at its Nov. 13 meeting. A draft of the opinion must be issued at least five days prior to the public hearing.
Lee Anne Bruce Boone, executive director of the Ethics Commission, said several lawmakers have pointed to this rule as a point of confusion.
Many officeholders seek reelection and run for office multiple election cycles in a row, she said. The question is can candidates have one bank account stay open, rather than open a new account and transfer campaign funds every election cycle, Bruce Boone said.
“We definitely want to keep things transparent and accountable, but we also don’t want to miss the forest for the trees and make things so difficult, either,” she said.
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