A spokesman for the Oklahoma Corporation Commission for the first time revealed a man who was allegedly groped by Commissioner Todd Hiett leading to calls for Hiett to resign and targeted over his rate case votes has never come before the commission in public instances as suggested by Hiett’s detractors.
In response to a recent OK Energy Today story regarding Rep. Tom Gann’s Supreme Court challenge of a PSO rate case in which Commissioner Hiett participated, spokesman Trey Davis wrote the alleged victim or man whom the purported improper conduct reported occurred has neither reported the incident to police in Minneapolis, Minnesota nor filed a complaint with the Corporation Commission, which is what was stated in previous stories.
“It is also important to note this individual does not appear (and never has) in cases that come before the Commissioners. That has become a repeated misstatement of fact that bears correcting as it is indisputably fabricated.”
Over the past several months, some officials have claimed the alleged male victim represented major utilities in the state and perhaps made public appearances before the Commission. Their publicly-stated beliefs charged the conflict might create instances of leverage by either Commissioner Hiett and perhaps by the man who represented the utilities.
Our article mistakenly referred to a recent order signed by the Chief Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme court. We cited Chief Justice M. John Kane IV in error. He was replaced in January by Dustin P. Rowe.
We reported the Supreme Court order allowed Rep. Gann to use minutes and documents of some of the Corporation Commission actions in his challenge of the PSO rate case. However, we should have correctly reported the Court instead agreed to Rep. Gann’s request to retain the PSO rate case appeal of the commission’s order. His case could still be dismissed.