Ethics Commission chief resigns
Lee Slater is resigning as executive director of the Oklahoma Ethics Commission.
An item on the commission’s agenda for Friday is for “consideration, discussion and possible action on the resignation of Lee Slater as executive director effective at the end of business June 30, 2016.”
Another item calls for possible action on appointing Slater’s candidate for the position he is vacating.
Slater, 72, is retiring after three years in the leadership position at the panel, which is in charge of monitoring campaign finance reporting and investigating ethics complaints against public officials.
Before taking the post, Slater had a legal practice focusing on ethics law and campaign finance reporting.
Slater, a former newsman, also was a longtime secretary of the state Election Board and state Senate.
He has helped revise and streamline ethics rules and improve the online system with which the public can look at campaign filings and lobbyist reporting.
He declined to comment on his recommendation for a successor.
Slater said he felt it was his duty to suggest a candidate to fill his post.
“I’d be remiss if I didn’t,” he said. “That’s one of the things I can do of value to the commission.”