This post was originally published on this site.
OKC abandoned ranch, United Methodist Church and other Oklahoma news
A lot happened this week. Catch up on the news in OKC and Oklahoma in one minute
The Oklahoma Ethics Commission unanimously voted to abandon plans to create a new campaign finance website and to restore the old site.
The campaign finance website has been down for three months while the commission had been transitioning information from the old site to the new. During a special meeting Friday, Dec. 19, commissioners decided to immediately restore the old website to align with the commission’s constitutional duties.
The commission also voted to allow the Attorney General’s office to pursue any legal action against RFD & Associates, Inc. for possibly breaching its contract with the state to create the new site.
The campaign finance website has been offline as the election season begins to heat up. Voters in 2026 will decide the state’s next governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and state schools superintendent. Because the site has been down, voters could not quickly find out how those candidates are raising money and what they are spending it on.
The Ethics Commission had planned to launch Guardian 2.0 by Sept. 2. Campaign finance reports have still been available by email request.
Ethics Commission Director Lee Anne Bruce Boone said she has prioritized data accuracy and system security through this process.
This project initially kicked off Dec. 18, 2024, with RDF & Associates, Inc., which did not meet any of its project milestones. Two calls to RDF & Associates, Inc. went straight to voicemail, and Google lists the company as permanently closed.
The website, at guardian.ok.gov, went back online Dec. 18.
Original vendor to continue managing site
Because the firm delayed efforts to create the new site, Bruce Boone had to extend the commission’s legacy website contract with Civix, the firm that ran the old website.
Civix will now resume its contract with the state and continue to manage the campaign finance website. The commission pursued a new site with RDF & Associates, Inc. because Civix initially refused to continue its contract with the state. Civix has undergone leadership changes since then, and the new leaders are willing to continue maintaining the campaign finance website, Bruce Boone said during the special meeting.
Because the website was down, the commission extended deadlines for candidates to get their campaign finance reports into the office. The campaign finance reports for the third quarter will be due Jan. 30, and the fourth-quarter reports will be due Jan. 31.
In a statement, Attorney General Gentner Drummond said he supports the move to restore the original site.
“It is critical that citizens have access to campaign-finance reports and that online filing is fully functional,” Drummond said in the statement. “I appreciate the quick work of the Ethics Commission to ensure transparency as we enter into an election year.”
Drummond promised to pursue legal action against RFD & Associates, Inc.
“I take very seriously my role to ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent fairly and appropriately,” Drummond said in the statement. “My office stands ready to take legal action to recover damages, hold those responsible accountable and work with the Ethics Commission to ensure the public has a reliable means to access campaign finance reports.”
Commissioners discussed the possible suit for more than an hour in an executive session before returning to open session for a vote.
The commission has faced problems getting the new site, which would have been called Guardian 2.0, for several months, Bruce Boone said in an email Thursday, Dec. 18.
“The commission has been working through serious issues with the project for many months and has spent significant time attempting to correct them,” Bruce Boone said in the email. “This didn’t arise suddenly. The commission has worked extensively to try to resolve them. The agenda reflects where that process is today.”
In a Dec. 11 email, Bruce Boone emphasized the need to ensure the information on the website is accurate. The website launch was delayed because of RFD & Associates, Inc., and the commission could not put the website online before all information was validated.
“We will not release inaccurate information simply to meet an anticipated date,” Bruce Boone said in her Dec. 11 email.