By Mike McCarville
Controversial Rep. Randy Terrill, subject of criminal charges alleging he was involved in a bribery scheme with former Senator Debbe Leftwich, and an arch foe of House Speaker Kris Steele, is considering a run for Cleveland County commissioner, The McCarville Report has learned.
There is word Terrill may decide, as early as next week, that he will not seek reelection to the House and instead seek the District 2 County Commission seat to be vacated by Commissioner George Skinner.
The possibility of a Terrill run in Cleveland County is an open secret at the Cleveland County Courthouse.
Terrill told radio station KTOK’s News Department this afternoon he has been encouraged by others to seek the county post.
Whichever decision Terrill makes, he’s got scant money to fund a race; his lastest Ethics Commission report, just filed, shows he has a scant $5,450 on hand, $5,000 of it coming from his perennial supporter, the Oklahoma Public Employees Association. Under the law, he would be allowed to convert the funds to another political race.
His House campaign fund for his 2010 election ended with a zero balance, his reports show, with the biggest payments from it made to the political consulting firm of Majority Designs in Oklahoma City for mailing services in the general election. The firm is not doing anything for Terrill this year, officials said.
Former House Speaker Lance Cargill, who resigned the speakership after it was revealed he had been delinquent in paying some taxes, is now a consultant and is known as a Terrill ally.
The Moore Republican is currently the object of a trial in which prosecutors allege that he and former Sen. Debbe Leftwich, D-Oklahoma City, made an agreement under which Leftwich would not seek reelection in exchange for a new job at the Office of the State Medical Examiner, so that a Republican could run for her south Oklahoma City district. Terrill was bound over for trial following his preliminary hearing, but apparently a trial date has not been set due to his appeal on the judge’s ruling.
A specal House investigative committee criticized Terrill’s alleged conduct, but did not recommend Terrill’s expulsion from the House, concluding that no member would vote to do so unless Terrill is convicted.
I don’t care for the guy but I must say, he has guts.
I really admire the work that Terrill has done on immigration.He is responsible for the popular anti-illegal alien law 1804.What a great piece of legislation.Randy has tried to toughen this groundbreaking legislation,but has been thwarted by the cheap labor shills.
Hopefully he will be a convicted felon soon, ending his political carrer.
He is one of the few in the legislature who reads every bill and understands the political remifications of those bills. He took on the establishment and they dont like to be challenged. Inyeresting that charges are filed but the DA has not proceeeded.