By ANDREW W. GRIFFIN

Oklahoma Watchdog, editor

Posted: July 20, 2010

andrew@oklahomawatchdog.org

OKLAHOMA CITY – With Darryl Cates out on bond, following his being charged with four counts of felony voter fraud in Adair County last week, District Attorney Jerry Moore, of District 27, told Oklahoma Watchdog Tuesday that his office is working with a federal office on this ongoing investigation.

Moore didn’t offer a lot of specific details as to the nature of the joint local and federal investigation, but he did say he was “absolutely over the situation in general.”

The Tahlequah-based district attorney said his office is working with the U.S. Postal Examiner’s investigative office looking at issues related to Cates’ use of the postal service in obtaining the absentee ballots.

Moore acknowledged the felony charges brought against Cates and reminded this reporter that “he is innocent until proven guilty.”

As we reported here at Oklahoma Watchdog last week, Cates, 73, of Westville, Okla. had four counts brought against him July 13^th in the District Court of the 15^th Judicial District of Oklahoma: two were for false affidavit in voting registration and two for false notarization of absentee ballot. This was signed off by Assistant District Attorney Larry Langley. The crime Cates is accused of is punishable by imprisonment for up to 2 years and a fine up to $5,000.

With Cates back on the streets and reports coming out of Adair County that 492 out of 811 absentee ballots have been mailed to Cates’ PO boxes in Stilwell and Westville, Oklahoma Watchdog asked Moore if there was a concern about those ballots being compromised by Cates, who is still under investigation.

“There is nothing unlawful in him obtaining them,” Moore said. “We have to follow rules as regards to actions we take. Federal authorities are involved and yes, I was in touch with them today … we have discussed this case.”

And considering Moore is up for re-election and his name would be on those very ballots that Cates is gathering, Moore was asked if he felt it was appropriate to recuse himself from the investigation.

“I could certainly see myself recusing if I was involved with this man. But I assure you I am not,” Moore said.

And what of calling for a grand jury or multi-county grand jury investigation?

“A grand jury could be called,” Moore said. “A multi-county grand jury would be more investigative. We will get the case filed. We are working with federal authorities.”

Over the past year, Oklahoma Watchdog has taken a look at Cates’ past via online documents and news accounts. Not only was Cates a principal in the Christie community who was later fired after getting into a fist fight with some parents, he was also accused of “giving himself pay raises, his girlfriend money from the school lunch fund and her relative the district’s newest school bus,” something Cates did not deny according to a 1993 Associated Press report.

The Tulsa World reported in August 2004 that the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation investigated “absentee voting irregularities” involving the July 27th primary in Adair County that year. That also involved Cates, although ultimately the investigation, involving the previous Adair County District Attorney Richard Gray, went nowhere and Cates continued his questionable “absentee vote drive” on behalf of “hundreds of Adair County residents” unabated.

At the time, Cates told the Tulsa World, in a July 13, 2004 article, that “he is trying to be helpful” for Democrats and that while he doesn’t get paid, he asks for a “little compensation” like “gas money.”

The World reported at the time: Cates asks the Adair County Election Board for hundreds of absentee ballots applications, gets residents to apply for the ballots and then helps them mail back the ballots.

Cates said he works for several candidates, although he is not getting paid for his efforts.

“This is not at all about money,” Cates said. “Adair County is one of the poorest counties in Oklahoma, and how the hell they could have voted Republican in the 2000 election is more than I can know.

“If I can change that, I’m going to,” he promised.

So Cates has hit the stump for such candidates as Todd Hembree, who is running for the state Senate District 3 seat; John Auffet, who is vying for state House District 86; Paula Sam McCarter, an Adair County Court Clerk’s Office challenger; and Adair County Commissioner Sam Chandler. They are all Democrats.

And six years later it appears the same situation is playing out in Adair County.

Watch this space for more information in the coming days.

Copyright 2010 Oklahoma Watchdog