State legislative investigative panel to subpoena grand jury records on Carroll Fisher

Wednesday, April 7th 2004, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- A state panel investigating Insurance Commissioner Carroll Fisher voted Wednesday to subpoena all records of a multicounty grand jury that is also looking into Fisher's activities.

After meeting for about 30 minutes in a closed session with Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson and Assistant Attorney General Joel-lyn McCormick, who directs the grand jury, the House committee unanimously voted to issue the subpoena.

"We intend to be fully cooperative," Edmondson said. "Aside from that, we're not at liberty to discuss anything that was said, anything we were asked or anything we're going to do."

State Rep. Opio Toure, chairman of the eight-member investigative panel, has issued a gag order prohibiting members from discussing the committee's activities.

Composed of five Democrats and three Republicans, the committee is considering whether articles of impeachment against Fisher should be presented to the full House for a vote. If the committee and at least 51 members of the House approve, Fisher would then stand trial in the Senate. The Speaker of the House would appoint a group of its own members to serve as prosecutors in the trial.

Fisher has already been charged in Oklahoma County District Court with four felony counts relating to operating a charity illegally and embezzling insurance education money.

The grand jury is investigating Fisher's relationship with Florida attorney Norman Taplin. Fisher wrote a $35,855 check to Taplin two weeks after they attended the 2002 Super Bowl in New Orleans together, records show.

The check was for attorney fees and expenses using a Heritage National Insurance Co. bank account, even though the chief executive of that failed company contends the legal bill should not have been paid.

Fisher was able to write checks on the account because he had forced the insurance company into conservatorship.

The committee is also investigating:

-- The alleged solicitation of gifts of artwork, furniture and kitchen equipment valued at more than $30,000 from entities regulated by the Insurance Department;

-- Distribution of "Friends of Fisher" stickers to medical professionals, who were instructed to affix the stickers to insurance claim submissions;

-- Ethics complaints arising from Fisher's 2002 re-election campaign.

Toure also told the committee that it may be necessary to hire additional legal staff because of the amount of work expected to be generated by its investigation. Currently, three House attorneys are serving as advisers to the committee.

The next meeting of the committee was tentatively set for 9 a.m. on April 19.