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Oklahoma
State Senate
Communications Division
State Capitol
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
For Immediate Release: February 7, 2013
Sen. Harry Coates
Sen. Coates asks Governor for audit of Insurance Commission
On Thursday, Sen.
Harry Coates sent a letter to Gov. Mary Fallin requesting a
performance audit of the State Insurance Commission. The Republican
senator feels that the information is necessary in determining if
expenditures being made by the agency conform with state statutes
as well as if they are being used for the manner intended by the
Legislature and Ethics Commission.
“I think the Insurance Commission’s recent questionable
expenditures should be of interest to taxpayers and those paying
insurance premiums. This is their money and they need to know that
it is being spent ethically and legally,” said Coates.
Coates said he was disappointed in his Republican colleagues’
lack of interest in the questionable spending of the Insurance Commission
in the last couple of years.
“I have been labeled a troublemaker for questioning Insurance
Doak’s actions in the past which is unfortunate. If a Democrat
were in that office and a Republican raised these same questions,
that individual would be praised as a watch dog for the taxpayers’
money, but I guess as a responsible public official I’m not
supposed to question the actions of a member of my own party.”
Coates said he is tired of the double standard and wants Gov. Fallin
to step up and hold Commissioner Doak responsible for his actions
of using public funds to expand and promote his re-election profile
rather than on agency duties.
“If a Democrat state official was involved in such questionable
behavior, state Republican leadership would be indignant but this
is a fellow Republican so few on my side of the aisle seem concerned
about his waste of public money,” continued Coates. “Also
Republicans are supposedly for smaller and more efficient government,
but no one seems to care about his efforts to continually increase
the size and scope of the agency when it’s not needed. The
whole situation and state leaderships’ seemingly obvious lack
of concern for the situation is baffling.”
The State Auditor’s office is prohibited from investigating
the Insurance Commission without a request from the Governor, the
Attorney General or a joint request from the Senate Pro Tem and
House Speaker.
“The appearance of the Insurance Commission’s frivolous
spending and expansion of authority is tarnishing the image of that
office,” said Coates. “This is particularly true when
it comes to the hundreds of thousands the agency has spent on motivational
books, chamber memberships, uniforms, media equipment for PSA’s
featuring Doak himself, weapons, catering, fast food, restaurants
and lapel pins among other things. Other agencies don’t spend
money on these things so why is the Insurance Commission? If the
agency has so much money to blow perhaps they should lower fees
for businesses and also stop accepting any funding from the legislature.”
The Insurance Department was appropriated just under $1.9 million
in FY’12 and FY’13. The rest of the agency’s budget
consists of monies paid by citizens and companies for various types
of fees.
For more information contact:
Sen. Coates: (405) 521-5547
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