Ethics Commission launches interim site for local campaign finance reporting

The Oklahoma Ethics Commission has launched an interim local campaign reporting portal amid growing concern that a state law change and an aborted Guardian System upgrade left the public without access to municipal, county and school board candidate finances.

Late last year, the Ethics Commission restored its legacy Guardian System for state candidate committees and lobbyists to file their financial disclosures. The commission had been attempting to upgrade to a system known as Guardian 2.0, but the switch floundered and ultimately fell apart, forcing the agency to change providers and revert to its original system.

In anticipation of Guardian 2.0, the Oklahoma Legislature passed a new law last year requiring local candidates for office to file their campaign reports with the Ethics Commission instead of city and county officials. But the legacy Guardian System to which the agency reverted does not accomodate filing information or data for candidates in county and municipal races.