Over the weekend, The Oklahoman ran a heartwarming story about newly elected Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Todd Hiett.
Last year, the career politician loaned his campaign hundreds of thousands of dollars to win a hard-fought Republican primary, and was having some difficulty paying himself back. Fortunately, the Oklahoma Energy Industry came to the rescue and saved the day.
Via NewsOK.com:
Under a tight deadline, new Oklahoma Corporation Commissioner Todd Hiett collected enough this year from donors to pay off a $200,000 family loan to his 2014 campaign and have money left over, his latest contributions report shows.
“I think I finally got my head above water,” Hiett said Friday.
Hiett, R-Kellyville, collected almost $80,000 in donations between Jan. 1 and March 31, mostly from donors in the oil and gas industry, the report shows.
Hiett faced a strict fundraising deadline. By law, donors regulated by the Corporation Commission could only contribute to him for 120 days after last November’s general election. Those donors cannot give to him again until 2020 — 120 days before the primary election, if he runs again.
“Of all the years I’ve been around politics, I didn’t know corporation commissioners had this limitation,” Hiett said. “It’s a good thing for my family not to be left with the expense of the campaign. My wife and I are obviously very pleased. Campaigning has become more and more expensive through the years.”
Boy, that's a relief. I was really worried that Commissioner Hiett wouldn't be able to come up with the money. Thank goodness our Oil and Natural Gas Industry is so kind and supportive of the Corporation Commission – the state agency created by the people of Oklahoma to regulate the Oil and Natural Gas Industry – and gave him a bailout. What would we have done without their help? I'm glad they have Oklahoma's best interests in mind.
Seriously, we criticize the Energy Industry from time to time for doing things like trying to cover up the cause of the earthquakes they're creating, but it's really nice of them to support the less fortunate, and even more importantly, not expect anything in return for it. They just helped Commissioner Hiett pay off personal loans to be nice. It's another example of the Oklahoma Standard at work.
And you know what? Even if they did expect something in return for their generous contributions, like political favors, the occasional turning of a blind eye, or the lax regulation of earthquake-causing disposal wells, we know Mr. Hiett wouldn't stand for it. Although he may look like your stereotypical sleazy politician, he is all class! The guy is obviously going to represent the people who voted for him... and not the industry that gave him $80,000 over three months. Once again, it's called the Oklahoma Standard. We're so lucky it exists.
