$75,500 donated to Hofmeister defense fund

The special committee created to help Joy Hofmeister pay her legal bills in a criminal case has raised $75,500, its first report shows.

“Joy is humbled and pleased by the support from individuals who believe in her innocence and the job she is doing for Oklahoma’s kids,” her defense attorney, Gary Wood, said Monday.

The state schools superintendent was charged in November with four felony counts involving her 2014 campaign. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for August in Oklahoma County District Court to determine if prosecutors have enough evidence for a trial.

The Joy Hofmeister Defense Fund was created in February under

rule approved by the Oklahoma Ethics Commission in 2014. It is the first special committee involving a defense fund ever formed in Oklahoma.

It filed its first contributions and expenses report Sunday night. That report covers donations and payments made through March 31.

Giving $25,000 each were three donors — Tulsa philanthropist Stacy Schusterman, Tulsa oilman and banker George Kaiser and Sapulpa trucking company executive Danny Christner.

Giving $500 was Oklahoma City banker H.E. “Gene” Rainbolt.

The first expense was a $24,000 payment March 14 to the Riggs Abney law firm in Oklahoma City for legal services by her defense attorneys.

Hofmeister, 52, is accused of illegally colluding with a dark money group to win election in 2014. Prosecutors alleged she used the group, Oklahomans for Public School Excellence, to secretly accept illegal excessive donations and illegal corporate donations.

The Tulsa Republican faces two felony counts involving donations totaling $300,000 to the dark money group. She also faces two felony counts of conspiracy. Charged with her in the conspiracy counts are Fount Holland, who was her chief campaign consultant in 2014, and three others.

All have denied wrongdoing.

One of the defense fund donors suggested Monday that Hofmeister was a political novice who is in her current situation because of her consultants.

“I don’t believe Joy ever has intent to break the rules or to try to get ahead by doing something outside the lines,” Christner said.

Christner is treasurer of the defense fund. He said he felt compelled to help because “rather than resign ... she stood on her integrity and her character and her vision for what she can do to help the state and the schools.”

Another defense fund donor, Schusterman, chair of Samson Energy Co., said Monday, “I appreciate Joy’s commitment to improving education in Oklahoma. Joy is someone I’ve observed to be of the highest to character. I am happy to support her defense.”

Hofmeister also has a separate committee to raise funds for a 2018 re-election effort. As of March 31, that committee has raised only $18,210, records show. Most of those donations came in before she was charged.