Former Insurance Commissioner Carroll Fisher's special assistant has been fired

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Former Insurance Commissioner Carroll Fisher's special assistant has been fired by the Oklahoma Department of Insurance. <br/><br/>A termination letter sent to Opal Ellis accuses

Saturday, October 23rd 2004, 3:53 pm

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Former Insurance Commissioner Carroll Fisher's special assistant has been fired by the Oklahoma Department of Insurance.

A termination letter sent to Opal Ellis accuses her of improper acts, including failure to provide adequate medical documentation for extended absences, failure to pay copying charges and refusal to return state-owned equipment.

Ellis is awaiting trial on felony accusations of embezzling vending machine money, operating a charity illegally and embezzling continuing education funds. Fisher was accused along with her on some of the charges.

In the termination letter, interim Commissioner Daryl England said Ellis hasn't had any legitimate duties at the Insurance Department for more than seven months.

``Although Commissioner Fisher stripped you of all duties on Feb. 26, 2004, he retained you on the payroll,'' England wrote. ``Because he has resigned, and because you have no function at the Department and I do not plan to create new duties for you, I have decided to abolish the position of special assistant to the commissioner all together.''