EXCLUSIVE: Coffee Behind Jim Priest Smear Job?

Since the beginning of our news service, we’ve shown the hypocrisy of the Oklahoma news media. We’ve broken more investigative stories than anybody over the past few years, important stories the news media won’t dare touch. Our readers appreciate that. We’re not a press release service/news aggregator disguised as a blog and we don’t attempt to be non-partisan. We’re proudly pro-Republican and conservative. But there is one thing in particular we really, really dislike: unethical politicians. And given the choice between exposing a dirty Democrat and a dirty Republican, we’ll go after the bad Republican because we believe a cancer in our house is worse than a cancer in theirs.

Which leads us to today’s post: according to OKPNS sources, the politician behind the Jim Priest smear could be none other than embattled Senate Leader Glenn Coffee. If he’s not, it’s a heck of a coincidence!

Here’s what we predicted, and here’s the smear, and now we explore the Coffee angle.

According to our sources, Coffee was overheard on December 16th in an Oklahoma City restaurant talking to a political operative analyzing the various candidates running for attorney general. Insiders say Coffee, who lusted after the open AG seat despite a dismal record as a private attorney, is bitter because last year’s tax cheating and assorted other foul-ups cost him any chance at winning the post. During the conversation, our sources say Coffee spoke on a variety of topics, including the attorney general race. In the most telling aspect of his careless conversation, Coffee said Priest’s biggest hurdle was that “Priest is representing his church in a case where a youth pastor diddled some kids.”

Coffee’s cavalier attitude toward sexual assault aside, his filthy and obscene characterization of Priest is a lie. According to court records, Priest has never entered an appearance as a lawyer for the case. But it helps add drama and filth to the smear, right?

About two weeks later, the character assassination was underway, now with an ally in the press; coincidentally an ally in desperate need of newspaper sales. On New Year’s Eve, new motions were filed in the case that mentioned Priest several times. In the original filings, Priest was barely mentioned. In what we are sure is simply a coincidence, courthouse insiders tell OKPNS only about a week later the case was being “amped up” by the plaintiff’s counsel, which is approximately the same time the daily newspaper reporter began to ask questions. When the inaccurate and poorly-written report was finally published, the reporter used a distorted headline to indicate that Priest had “obstructed justice.” The basis for that assertion was a police officer’s deposition. Sounds like at least one reporter needs a little orientation on precisely who usually makes determinations as to what constitutes “obstruction of justice.” Note to newspaper hack: it isn’t cops, but it is a nice technique for advancing a smear.

The story was clearly a filthy hit job: if Priest did something illegal, opposing counsel should have complained to the authorities. They did not. If paper boy thought Priest had done something illegal, the reporter would have sought expert opinion on this matter. He did not. But the paper boy got his distorted headline and the smear was complete.

We don’t know if Sen. Coffee orchestrated this smear job, but if there’s a list of suspects he’s right at the top. The fact that Jim Priest is a Democrat is of no consequence: according to several sources, the threatening, badgering, menacing Glenn Coffee is situation normal at the state capitol these days. We do know Coffee’s recent behavior leaves many capitol insiders shaking their heads in amazement, and in this particular situation we know he was overheard in public talking about the case, while adding salacious and false aspects to his description. If it walks like a duck and threatens to burn down your house like a duck, it’s probably a big fat duck arsonist!

It may be that it is entirely a coincidence that a well-orchestrated effort to defame a good and decent man was underway only days after this careless public conversation. Or it could be that Jim Priest is one of the “houses” Sen. Coffee has promised to “burn down” if he doesn’t get his way.

Regardless, if Sen. Coffee is behind this smear, he should be held accountable by right-thinking Republicans and the press as well. But both groups stand mute. Further, a bitterly contested effort is underway in the senate to determine who will succeed Coffee. Our sources say ethical lines are being crossed, but other Republicans stand by doing nothing. When good Republicans stand idly by while corrupt Republicans run amuck, it is indeed a sad day.

The great Irish politician Edmund Burke said, “All that’s necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.” So far in Oklahoma, Republicans have got the “doing nothing” part down cold.

One other item worth mentioning: our source indicated that the man identified as Sen. Coffee mentioned another candidate in the AG’s race in less than flattering terms. He is reported to have said he couldn’t “support” this candidate, so if you’re reading this, Ryan Leonard, it would pay to watch your back if you know what we mean.

Related:

Examiner.com: 8 questions press corp should ask Glenn Coffee