By ANDREW W. GRIFFIN

Oklahoma Watchdog, editor

Posted: April 22, 2010

andrew@oklahomawatchdog.org

OKLAHOMA CITY — State Rep. Charles Key (R-Oklahoma City) sent out a press release late last week noting that he had been misquoted in an April 12 Associated Press article.

As Key wrote in a piece headlined “Keep the power in hands of people,”  published by The Tennessean newspaper, Nashville, the AP got it wrong about Key’s desire to file legislation next year which would lead to the creation of a state-sanctioned militia.

Key wrote, “I had made it clear several times in the interview that I had no intention to file, knew of no other legislator who was planning to file such legislation, and hadn’t discussed the possibility with anyone. Two days later, in a meeting with the reporter (Sean Murphy) and his supervisor (Kelly Kissel) it was revealed that the AP had decided to write a story on the militia.”

Key continues, “They were determined to find a connection to the Tea Parties, conservative legislators and other grassroots Constitutional organizations one way or another. The story not only attributed false statements to me and others but also went national to a willing press who repeated the false information over and over.”

Key then asks, “Why did this happen? Will the media probe this question of how they got it so terribly wrong with as much zeal as they pursued their pre-determined effort to make a connection between militias and conservatives? I wouldn’t bet on it.”

In a press release posted at Red Dirt Report, another Oklahoma news website, Key demanded the AP print a retraction.

As he wrote: “Tuesday, April 13, Sean Murphy came by my office and asked to speak with me. He said he wanted to apologize if the article had caused me or my legislative assistant any problems. I told him that he got it terribly wrong and reminded him that I didn’t know anything about an interest and never said I was considering filing legislation related to militia. He then made a statement that stories are sometimes edited and that can alter the intent of the interviewee. He then said he wanted to get it right and asked if he could record our conversation. I agreed and we did another interview. I expected to see a corrected article to follow. ”

Concludes Key: “I am demanding a retraction and that the recording from the second interview be released.”        

Oklahoma Watchdog emailed Kelly Kissel, identified as Murphy’s supervisor, to see if he had a comment about the Murphy militia story. As of Thursday afternoon there had been no response from Kissel.          

And when Oklahoma Watchdog contacted Key on Wednesday morning, he said the AP is largely standing by the story. On April 15, in a story by Murphy, headlined “Okla. lawmaker disavows ‘militia’ comments,” it appears to be a weak retraction disguised as a follow-up.

The April 15 story, which focuses largely on State Sen. Randy Brogdon, the Owasso Republican running for governor, notes Key at the end with the following: “Separately Thursday, a state House member who said he expected the Oklahoma Legislature to see a militia-related bill during next year’s session said he was not sure a bill would be prepared.

“I do not expect legislation to be filed, but I can’t predict the future,” said state Rep. Charles Key, R-Oklahoma City. “There’s 101 members out here (in the House) and 48 over there (in the Senate). How could I make a statement that it will or won’t?” He told AP last week he thought there was a “better than 50-50 chance” such a bill would be filed.”

Asked about that quote, Key said “that is the key statement that has been misinterpreted.” He said that Murphy had pressed Key a number of times in the interview about the chances this militia idea would be embraced next year by the legislature.

“I said ‘no, no, no,’” Key recalls. “(My comment) wasn’t intended to say it would. I was making a statement that I can’t predict the future.”

An email was also sent to Sean Murphy, seeking comment about this “militia” story controversy. He said we would need to talk to Kissel. Again, Kissel e-mailed Oklahoma Watchdog and said this site would need to speak to an AP spokesperson. Again, no one had contacted OkW as of midday Thursday.

Key said he appreciated Murphy and Kissel talking to him, but not enough has been done to clear up the confusion and the inaccuracies on the part of the AP report.

Key said that the original interview had not been recorded and is inaccurate. The second interview, which was recorded, is the one Key wants posted. It clarifies what he actually said.

“It seems to me that they decided to do a story on the militias and how they’re related to the Tea Parties and also find legislators who are of like mind and think like they do,” Key said.

“It’s the power of the press,” Key said. “It’s like, what are you going to do about it?”

Copyright 2010 Oklahoma Watchdog