Mike Finley says concerns arising from records obtained through an open-records request warrant an independent federal review and argues voters, not county commissioners, should choose the county’s next sheriff.
NORMAN — Acting Cleveland County Sheriff Mike Finley is asking county commissioners to seek an independent FBI review of concerns he says arose from information obtained through an open-records request and urged officials to halt the process of appointing the county’s next sheriff in favor of a special election.
Addressing the Cleveland County Board of County Commissioners during its weekly meeting on Monday, Finley said information he obtained through an open-records request raised concerns he believes warrant review by federal authorities.
“Given the nature of these concerns, I respectfully request that the matter be referred to the FBI Public Corruption Division for an independent review and determination of whether any violations of law have occurred,” Finley said in a prepared statement.
Finley did not identify the records in question, describe the concerns he uncovered or name any individuals involved.
He emphasized that his request was not intended as an accusation of wrongdoing.
“The rationale for this request is not to accuse any individual of wrongdoing, but rather to ensure transparency, accountability, and public confidence in the integrity of county government and law enforcement,” Finley said. “An independent review would help determine the facts and provide assurance that any concerns are evaluated appropriately.”
Finley also asked commissioners to suspend or abandon the ongoing process of appointing a sheriff to serve the remainder of the current term and instead call a special election.
“In addition, to preserve public trust in the process while these concerns are reviewed, I respectfully request that the Board of County Commissioners suspend or forgo the current sheriff appointment process and instead call for a special election to allow the citizens of Cleveland County to select their next sheriff,” he said.
The request comes as Cleveland County officials work to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of former Sheriff Chris Amason.
Amason resigned in April after pleading no contest to a felony embezzlement charge stemming from a Multi-County Grand Jury investigation into transfers and expenditures involving his campaign committee. Under a plea agreement announced by Attorney General Gentner Drummond‘s office, Amason agreed to resign, pay $10,000 in restitution, surrender his law enforcement certification and accept a five-year deferred sentence.
The Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office also has faced scrutiny following the release of a Multi-County Grand Jury report that examined allegations of preferential treatment involving inmate Sara Polston and criticized actions by multiple public officials connected to the matter.
Finley did not indicate whether the concerns referenced in his statement were related to Amason’s criminal case, the Polston controversy, the sheriff appointment process or any other matter.
Commissioners did not immediately announce action on Finley’s requests during Monday’s meeting.
The FBI has not publicly commented on whether it has received or will review any referral related to the matter.
For now, the nature of the records obtained by Finley and the concerns he says they raise remain unclear. However, his request for a federal public corruption review and a countywide special election adds a new layer of uncertainty to the process of selecting Cleveland County’s next sheriff.
