'Nobody should be taking a victory lap': Petition to investigate commissioner fails

OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. (KOKH) — Those calling for an investigation into Oklahoma County Commissioner Myles Davidson were dealt a setback.

Officials told FOX 25 that the number of verified signatures on the petition to call a grand jury investigation failed to clear the needed threshold.

The organizers behind the petition claim that Davidson failed to disclose his ties to the owner of a property under consideration for the planned new Oklahoma County Detention Center.

"At the end of the day, this petition was all about transparency in government," State Rep. Andy Fugate said on Friday.

Organizers informed FOX 25 that they submitted about 5,700 signatures in total. Oklahoma County Election Board officials said they were able to verify 4,180.

They needed 5,000 signatures, however for the investigation to go forward, according to Oklahoma County Court Clerk Rick Warren.

"Had the good commissioner disclosed his relationship from the outset, the very beginning, we would not be where we are today with questions that remain about this hidden relationship between the commissioner and this person who owned the property," asserted Rep. Fugate.

As a county commissioner, Davidson was directly involved in selecting this location near E Grand Blvd and SE 15th St in Oklahoma City.

Residents and officials have continued to express concerns over the site's proximity to schools, neighborhoods, and attractions.

Although he didn't get the news he wanted regarding the petition, Rep. Fugate said the issue is far from settled.

"Nobody should be taking a victory lap off of what happened in the county commissioner process," he added.

In response to the development, Davidson noted in a statement that, "to our knowledge, there is no further investigation." He has also previously said his vote was focused solely on the county's needs.

The location for the new jail remains uncertain as the county and Oklahoma City work through a legal challenge to the E Grand site, according to Rep. Fugate.

The city voted down a zoning change to allow the plan to move forward in May. The county has been exploring the possibility of overriding the vote.

Rep. Fugate said organizers are unable to simply obtain 800 more signatures to meet the required threshold. Instead, they would need to start the petition process over again.

He said he's open to anything—and that final plans on how to move forward remain undecided.

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