‘This is some deviants,’ legislator tells police
MOORE — The discovery of a tracker on a legislator’s pickup came after a source warned him the wind industry was digging into his life, a newly released video reveals.
Rep. Mark McBride, R-Moore, found the GPS tracker on his pickup the night of Dec. 4 and called police. The officer who came to his home activated a bodycam before taking down the information.
In the video, McBride can be heard using profanity to describe the discovery of the tracker as freaky.
“I mean how many people do you know that somebody’s stuck a tracker on their vehicle?” McBride asked.
“Now, usually it’s like a wife,” officer Francisco Franco replied.
“No,” McBride said. “This is some deviants trying to do something.”
Moore police on Wednesday released the officer’s four-paragraph report on McBride’s discovery and his suspicions.
Police on Thursday released the bodycam video containing all of McBride’s remarks.
McBride suspects the wind industry had the tracker placed on his pickup. He has been an outspoken critic of the industry and has called
for “Big Wind” to pay millions of dollars in taxes.
In the video, McBride acknowledges he is not 100 percent sure who had been tracking him. “I don’t know who did it,” he said. “I think I know who did it.”
Wind industry leaders have denied responsibility.
The video reveals a few new details
Most significantly, McBride claimed a source had warned him wind farm companies were looking into his life because of his criticism.
“I pissed off some people that’s got billions of dollars,” he told the officer.
“So I had word from a source that they were trying to dig into my
life,” he said. “Anything they could find on me, having an affair, or just anything.”
He told the officer the same source suggested he look underneath his truck. “Because it’s weird, because sometimes certain people know where I’m at,” he said.
McBride on Thursday would not identify his source. “Very credible, but I just can’t,” he told The Oklahoman.
The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation confirmed Tuesday its special agents are looking into “a threat” against McBride.
OSBI agents had begun that investigation even before the discovery of the tracker, according to McBride’s statements to the police officer.
“OSBI, they’re saying extortion ... to try to get me to back off of running any kind of legislation,” he said.
The video reveals whoever placed the tracker would not have had much trouble identifying McBride’s pickup. McBride represents House District 53; the pickup’s tag is H53.