Group behind Tar Creek audit lawsuit sues again
"One day after securing the release of a state audit into the Tar Creek Superfund site, a national watchdog group filed another lawsuit against the Oklahoma attorney general's office."
"One day after securing the release of a state audit into the Tar Creek Superfund site, a national watchdog group filed another lawsuit against the Oklahoma attorney general's office."
On April 10, 2018, CfA filed a lawsuit in the District Court of Oklahoma County against Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter for failing to release communications between former Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt and United States Senator James Inhofe (R-OK) about the work of the Lead-Impacted Communities Relocation Trust (“LICRAT”) at the Tar Creek Superfund site northeastern Oklahoma.
Watchdog group Campaign for Accountability filed a federal lawsuit against the Environmental Protection Agency seeking the release of records involving the audits. Daniel Stevens, director of the watchdog group, said Monday they were pleased to see the released documents. The watchdog group is “still evaluating the documents posted online” in efforts to verify whether Hunter’s office released all the documents required by law.
"A national watchdog group embroiled in a legal battle with the Oklahoma attorney general's office over a state audit into the Tar Creek Superfund site has now sued the Environmental Protection Agency for more Tar Creek documents."
"The Campaign for Accountability (CFA), a DC-based watchdog group, has been seeking the release of the audit. Last fall, it filed suit to force the state to release the report, litigation that is still pending. And on Thursday it filed suit against the EPA to find out whether Pruitt may have used his position with the agency to keep the audit—and any wrongdoing it may have uncovered—from seeing the light of day. The new suit contends that the agency has failed to respond to Freedom of Information Act requests for documents concerning whether Pruitt’s agency may have coordinated with Oklahoma officials to keep the audit under seal—and whether EPA officials may have leaked a 2013 report by the agency”s inspector general that downplayed allegations of wrongdoing in connection with the buyout program. In February, several news outlets obtained copies of the report."
American Oversight Represents Campaign for Accountability in Federal Lawsuit Seeking Tar Creek Records
"A Washington-based watchdog group, the Campaign for Accountability, said there should be an investigation into whether Moore misused his political power to get that grant approved, and to pressure state regulators to go easy on pollution violations on the site."
Noel Confirmed the Investigation in a Radio Interview
"The Tar Creek audit is the subject of an ongoing open records lawsuit by Campaign for Accountability, a Washington, D.C. group. On Feb. 23, an Oklahoma County judge rejected Hunter's motion to dismiss the lawsuit and gave the attorney general's office 30 days to respond."
"A watchdog group on Monday accused House Speaker Tim Moore of throwing his political weight around to avoid environmental cleanup costs at a Siler City poultry plant his company sold in 2016."