UPDATED 7/27: Steve Dickson, a member of the party’s budget committee, posted this on his page: “For the record, as a member of the Oklahoma State Republican Party Budget Committe, I can verify travel expenses for Randy Brogdon were unanimously approved at our last meeting, as was the salary for Chairman Brogdon. In addition to this, staff salaries were discussed and agreed upon. Press reports to the contrary are based on false information and should call into question the legitimacy of such organizations, as well as those in public life commenting without factual information.”
Brogdon defended himself in an interview on the Pat Campbell show on KFAQ this morning: http://media.jrn.com/audio/Pat+and+Eddie+with+Randy+Brogdon.mp3
By Randy Krehbiel
Tulsa World
Federal Election Commission records show state Republican Chairman Randy Brogdon and former staffer T.C. Ryan received more than $16,000 from a state party political action committee, despite Brogdon’s claim the two were working without pay because of the Oklahoma GOP’s dire financial situation.
“We weren’t paid for six or eight weeks, until I raised enough money to get all the bills up to date,” Brogdon said Friday.
Brogdon said the party’s budget committee approved a budget that included his salary, even though he did not initially accept it.
Brogdon became state chairman on April 13. FEC reports shows he was paid $3,933 for mileage on May 6. He later received $1,933 in salary and another $2,906 in mileage.
Ryan was paid $7,398 from May 28 to June 30, including $3,071 on June 30.
Ryan resigned his position on June 24.
The amounts involved are not particularly startling — those familiar with party finances say Brogdon’s predecessor, Dave Weston, was paid $80,000 a year plus expenses. But Brogdon, who was elected state chairman in April, had told party officials that he and Ryan were not being paid because the state party was broke.
A controversial choice to begin with, Ryan was forced out by party leaders upset to learn he had pleaded guilty to a domestic violence misdemeanor in 2012.
The Oklahoma Leadership Council was formed more than two decades ago to fund the party’s federal activities as well as some state operations. Its most recent FEC report shows a balance of $24,289 on June 30.
The party also has a state PAC, which had a balance of $6,325 on March 31, the most recent date for which records are available. The federal account can be used for state and federal expenses, but the state account can only be used for state expenses. In recent years, at least, records indicate staff salaries have mainly been paid from the federal account.
Um. Pretty sure the comments about not getting paid were through the end of may. your own report here says that this pay happened end of June. You people Stop at nothing.
When in power the Republicans are proving to be as dishonest, sneaky and under handed as the democrats. By the way I am a registered Republican.
Please do not judge all Republicans by Brogdon’s standard. He is not representative of the party