Oklahoma legislator sues Texas political consultant

A state representative is suing the Texas political consultant over the tracking device placed on his pickup.

Rep. Mark McBride, R-Moore, also is suing whoever hired the Austinbased Democratic political consultant, George C. Shipley.

He filed the lawsuit against Shipley and “John Doe” on Wednesday in Oklahoma City federal court. He is seeking actual and punitive damages on invasion of privacy and five other grounds.

He specifically alleges the defendants were looking for damaging information on him “through unlawful means” to control or extort him or harm his reputation.

McBride found the GPS tracker underneath his pickup Dec. 4. He suspects the wind industry had him followed. The president of The Wind Coalition, though, has consistently denied any involvement.

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation last month determined Shipley had hired the Oklahoma private investigators who placed the tracker.

Shipley had been subpoenaed to appear this week before Oklahoma’s multicounty grand jury to reveal who hired him but a Texas judge ruled he didn’t have to come.

Prosecutors plan to subpoena Shipley again to appear next month.

Shipley, whose nickname is “Dr. Dirt,” has not spoken to the media about why he was doing the research. Reached by phone Wednesday, he hung up after being told he had been sued.

McBride in January sued the PI firm, Eastridge Investigations and Asset Protection. That lawsuit is pending in Oklahoma County District Court but a settlement is likely.