State Democrats propose ethics, campaign finance legislation

Friday, January 27th 2006, 6:17 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ State lawmakers would be prohibited from accepting campaign contributions during legislative sessions, under a proposal announced by state House Democrats.

That proposal is part of a package of bills that also includes a plan to bar candidates for legislative or statewide office from receiving contributions from political action committees.

Democratic legislators Thursday cited the Jack Abramoff corruption scandal in making their proposals.

In 2004, Abramoff and his associates contributed thousands of dollars to the First Freedoms Fund, a PAC that contributed 74-thousand-500 dollars to state legislative candidates.

The First Freedoms Fund was set up in June 2003 by Oklahoma Congressman and gubernatorial candidate Ernest Istook.

Istook is directing that the 28-thousand dollars Abramoff or his clients gave the PAC or his congressional campaign be donated to the Boy Scouts or the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation.

House Minority Leader Jari Askins of Duncan, who is running for lieutenant governor, said that Democrats believe in strong ethics and accountability.