Last week, Oklahoma Watch released a report on Senator Markwayne Mullin’s amended financial disclosure from 2023.
Bear with me, I swear this is interesting.
What stuck out about this disclosure were hundreds of thousands of dollars in previously unreported trades. This is a violation of the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act, which requires Congresspeople to disclose any trade in stocks, bonds, or even crypto made by themselves, their spouse, or a dependent child within 45 days.
A spokesperson for Mullin who, puzzlingly, refused to be identified, told Oklahoma Watch that the senator uses a third party to operate his stock portfolio. This third party reports to the Senate Ethics Committee bi-weekly.
On the one hand, it’s hard to imagine how such large transactions could have been overlooked for so long if Senator Mullin’s financial team is so scrupulous. On the other, it could be easy to see this as a mere procedural quibble. This sort of thing isn’t uncommon. Congresspeople on both sides of the aisle have been found violating the STOCK Act. Mullin ultimately disclosed the trades, even if it was a year and a half late.
But this isn’t really about a handful of trades that got misreported. Mullin’s own conscience notwithstanding, what’s really interesting is the fact that the penalty for violating the STOCK Act is a fine of $200. You read that right. Meanwhile, the Tulsa World reported that Mullin and his wife own between $31.65 million and $108 million in total assets. Mullin’s mysterious spokesperson refused to answer whether or not he had paid his ticket.
As the expression goes: If the penalty is a fine, it’s only illegal for poor people. With so much to gain and so little to lose, what motivation is there to obey the law?
Local News
- A report from Oklahoma Watch shows a pattern of troubling instances where elderly patients are seized for guardianships and essentially disappear.
- Food on the Move is getting ready for a series of Community Food and Resource Festivals in August. The first one will be held at Chamberlain Park on August 19th from 5:30 to 7:30 PM.
- A pastor and private school board member was arrested in a Tulsa Hobby Lobby last week on 11 peeping tom counts.
State & Regional News
- Hundreds of demonstrators gathered at the capitol on Monday calling for State Superintendent Ryan Walters to be impeached.
- The Cherokee Nation swore in their new council on Thursday, August 14th.
- Schools in Oklahoma will continue to charge students for lunch despite State Superintendent Ryan Walters’ instructions not to. In a blow to environmental groups, a federal judge in Texas has issued a ruling rescinding protections for the lesser prairie chicken.
Jobs & Opportunities
- The City of Tulsa is hiring a part-time school crossing guard.The City of Tulsa needs an Information Technology Technician.
- Yelp has a remote position available as a Senior Analyst in Product Analytics.
- Northside Neighbors LLC is looking for a new Director of Education.
- Justice Link LLC is looking for a Jail Navigator to help connect the recently incarcerated with resources.
- Metro Library in OKC seeks a poet laureate
- Downtown Tulsa Partnership seeks RFQs for artwork in alley on west Fifth St.
