Oklahoma's County Commissioner scandal prominent figure dies

[madokie]

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=oklahoma+county+commissioner+scandal&btnG=Google+Search

Because of my memory of this is why I keep my hopes up that something is surely going on with the fbi concerning this bush/cheney cabal. dm


Former official who exposed Oklahoma county commissioners scandal dies


By STAFF REPORTS
1/31/2008 9:36 PM


BROKEN ARROW -- Rufus Earl Young, best known for his part in helping uncover the largest government scandal in U.S. history, has died. He was 71.

Young died Wednesday at a Tulsa hospital, where he was undergoing treatment for lung cancer, according to his wife, Pamela Young.

Services are pending at Floral Haven Funeral Home.

Young was a newly elected Wagoner County commissioner in 1978 when he agreed to help the FBI in its investigation of kickbacks to Oklahoma's county commissioners.

He worked with the FBI for 10 months, many times wearing a secret recording device as he posed as a corrupt politician in his dealings with vendors and other officials.

Young collected more than $6,700 in bribes from materials suppliers, money he then turned over to the FBI to further its probe.

In the end, more than 240 current or former county commissioners across the state were convicted in the 1980s of taking bribes.

In 1982, Young received the FBI's top honor -- the Louis E. Peters Memorial Award for his efforts. He was also recognized by then-FBI Director William Sessions.

During the height of the county commissioner scandal, Young was jokingly referred to as the only certifiably honest county commissioner in Oklahoma.

Young served two terms as a county commissioner, from 1978 until 1986.

He was unsuccessful in another bid for the commission seat in 1998.

For the past decade, Young drove a dump truck for his company, Young Construction.

He always said he thought he did what anyone of good moral character would have done in aiding the FBI probe.

He held to that thought even when he feared that a contract for his murder had been put out, forcing him to hide out for two weeks at the home of the late Howard Fink, the Wagoner County Election Board secretary.

Young was quoted at the time as saying, "I would have done it all over again."

Pamela Young said her husband never once regretted helping in the investigation.

"He always felt it was the right thing to do," she said. "He was that kind of man right to the end."

She said her husband, who loved to rebuild tractors, was always well-liked and was voted "the most popular patient" during a stay at St. Francis Hospital in Tulsa.

Young said her husband was a longtime smoker who finally quit the habit Dec. 31.

Two weeks later, he was diagnosed with lung cancer, she said.

In addition to his wife, Young is survived by two daughters, Cathy Mullings of Tulsa and Amy Shelton of Catoosa; a stepdaughter, Angie Purtle of Broken Arrow; a son, Clay Young of Claremore; three sisters, Syble Krafft of Colorado Springs, Colo., Maxine Spicer of Port Angeles, Wash., and Lola Bailey of Friendly, W.Va.; and one brother, Randall Young of South America.

Link: http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectID=12&articleID=20080131_1__BROKE75227

[aquart]

1. A man of courage and conviction has died.

He has left his family a great heritage to honor.

[madokie]

2. for every american to be proud of actually

henry cambell, our county commissioner at the time, IIRC was the only one to not be found guilty who were charged. And that was because of his lawyer and not that he was innocent by any means. He was just as guilty as the rest of em, again best I remember. He had a sorta oj simpson defense