‘I will not bend'
Rinehart blames political foes

By Randy Ellis, John Estus and Jay F. Marks

Published: April 7, 2007

Embattled Oklahoma County Commissioner Brent Rinehart refused to step down Friday after he appeared in court to answer felony criminal charges.

Rinehart called illegal campaign financing charges brought against him politically motivated.

"I will continue to aggressively serve the public despite the good old boy demands that I abandon public office,” Rinehart said. "I will not bend to their pressure.”

Rinehart, a Republican, said the charges are a ploy by his opponents "to leave me disgraced and bankrupt.”

The vow came after Rinehart and his former campaign manager, Tim Pope, turned themselves in at the Oklahoma County Courthouse to face illegal campaign financing allegations.

County officials later announced that it will be next week before they decide how to handle Rinehart's future as a commissioner.

The men faced initial arraignments before Judge Russell Hall, in his private chambers, before going to the Oklahoma County jail for booking.

Both men each posted $24,000 bail and were released.

Tom Prince, one of Rinehart's attorneys, said his client has not yet been asked to enter a plea.

Stephen Jones, Pope's attorney, claimed Thursday that the charges against his client had "no foundation” and were "politically inspired.”

The next court date for Rinehart, 42, and Pope, 49, is scheduled for May 17 before Judge Carol Ann Hubbard.

Both are charged with money laundering, conspiracy, perjury and other counts.

Rinehart and Pope are accused of soliciting excessive donations from at least three people and illegally funneling the money into Rinehart's 2004 election campaign for county commissioner.

Rinehart's and Pope's attorneys asked to have them arraigned in the judge's chambers, Hall said, and he agreed since he didn't have any court proceedings scheduled Friday morning.

Rinehart's relationships with many county officers, particularly Commissioner Jim Roth and Sheriff John Whetsel, have been volatile since he took office.

"It is deeply troubling to all of us as individuals and officeholders, that a colleague would allegedly obtain public office through illegal means,” Roth said, reading from a joint statement by the county's elected officials at a news conference Friday.

Before Rinehart arrived unexpectedly at the news conference and issued his vow to fight the charges, Roth said he felt "overwhelming sadness” when he learned of the allegations against Rinehart.

"We have to go through a pretty painful process as a county,” Roth said.

"My mind has been on the taxpayers that wonder what kind of representation they might get during this process and our county employees that don't deserve a stain on their own reputations,” Roth said.

A number of state statutes outline when and how an elected official can be removed from office if they face allegations of misconduct.

Oklahoma County District Attorney David Prater said county officials are cautiously researching which statute should apply to Rinehart because he was not a county commissioner at the time the alleged scheme took place.

He was, however, an Oklahoma City councilman at the time.

"We're looking at all of them,” Prater said.

"We're going to try to get the right answer the first time,” Prater said.

Roth would not confirm Friday if he and Commissioner Ray Vaughn will take action to remove, suspend or limit Rinehart's decision-making authority when Prater presents their options next week.

"It is probably premature to speculate,” Roth said.

The next scheduled board of county commissioners meeting is Wednesday.

Three donors — developers Jerl Methvin, 49; Ray Pelfrey, 67, and engineer Robert Larkin, 70 — have each been charged with a misdemeanor count of violating campaign laws by donating more than $5,000 to a political candidate.

"As elected officials, who have been entrusted by the people to conduct their business in a fair, open, and honest manner, we can not tolerate, nor should the public accept, dishonesty from a public official.”

Joint statement from Oklahoma County elected officials regarding felony charges brought against Commissioner Brent Rinehart