The Oklahoma State Capital

GUTHRIE - Republican candidate for Attorney General, Tim Green, will address the issues of Federalism and Campaign Fundraising Ethics during the summer meeting of the Republican Attorneys General Association in Scottsdale, Arizona. Green addresses the national group of state legal officers on Monday, June 24. Green raised the issue of ethics in campaign fundraising in his recent formal declaration of candidacy. Green challenged both Denise Bode and Drew Edmondson "to refund conflicted money and to sign a pledge to discontinue such practices."

Green seeks to establish a higher ethical standard than the current legal minimum in the raising of campaign donations by candidates seeking the office of Oklahoma Attorney General.

Green challenged Denise Bode "to return all campaign donations" which Bode has "taken from individuals whose businesses" she regulates as a Corporation Commissioner. Green also called upon Bode to "apologize for collecting 'non-binding' pledges from such interests during a period when regulated interests, including utilities, are barred from making donations to members of the Corporation Commission. Lastly, Green asked Bode to sign a pledge that she will accept "no future campaign funds that give rise to an ethical conflict so as to avoid creating the appearance" of shaking down regulated interests, "especially utility companies."

Green called upon Attorney General Edmondson to sign a pledge "to return all campaign donations" which the Edmondson campaign has "accepted from individuals that have or had a contract with the State of Oklahoma requiring approval by the Attorney General's office, and/or who were awarded attorney fees in the Tobacco Litigation Settlement."

Green also challenged General Edmondson to "pledge" that he will not accept any future campaign funds that "create even the appearance of an ethical conflict."

Tim Green initiated the "Pledge of Ethical Campaign Fund-raising" to raise standards in the race for Attorney General and to remove the cloud hanging over the race created by the fund-raising questions. Green believes the State's top attorney should avoid even the appearance of an ethical conflict.

The issue of raising the ethical standards was elevated earlier this year when Green called upon Commissioner Bode to resign her position at the Commission after she appeared and spoke at a political event held in the home of the President of one of Oklahoma's largest utilities.

---------------------------------

Tim currently practices law in Guthrie. He is past President of the Logan County Bar Association. His 23 years of practice consist primarily of business law, mineral law, election law and civil litigation matters. He is licensed to practice before all Oklahoma Courts, the U.S. District Court and the U.S. Supreme court. Tim has received the highest rating possible for ability and integrity from Martindale-Hubbell, a national lawyer rating service.

In 1996, Tim was attorney for Gov. Frank Keating, Lt. Gov. Mary Fallin and many other Republican elected officials, in a federal lawsuit against the State Election Board. In that suit, the Court ruled that Oklahoma's general election ballot design requiring that Democrat Party candidates always be placed in the top ballot position, was unconstitutional. The Court found that this design gave Democrat candidates an unconstitutional statistical advantage. As a result of that suit, all political parties now draw lots for ballot position. In the 1996, 1998 and 2000 general elections, Republican candidates were awarded the top position on general election ballots for the first time in modern history. Since then, Republicans have picked up 11 seats in the Oklahoma House of Representatives and 5 in the Oklahoma Senate.

Tim and his wife, Patty, have been married for 26 years. They reside in rural Logan County and have four children - Melissa, Matthew, Lucas and Jacob - and a son-in-law, Brandon Bagwell. The entire family attend St. Mary's Church in Guthrie.