Oklahoma Republican Chair Responds To Financial Problems Within Party

More financial problems and in-fighting within the states Republican party.  

Wednesday, News 9 told you about the financial problems at the state Republican Party: How the party couldn’t even pay its own bills. 

Read Related Story: Oklahoma Republican Party Reportedly Thousands Of Dollars In Debt  

After the story aired, Republican Party Chairman David McLain released a statement saying, “As of today, I have documentation showing we have in excess of $20,000 in our account.”

McLain did not release that documentation. 

Records leaked to News 9 by party insiders show the state party does have $20,000 in its account, deposited by the Republican National Committee Wednesday; the same day the News 9 report aired.

Simply put, the state Republican party got a bail out.

“The simple fact that we have to rely on a bailout to come into the reddest of red, that shows failure up and down the OK GOP leadership, and I’m sorry that I have to take out our trash,” said Oklahoma GOP Vice Chair Mike Turner.

McLain’s statement also read, “…at no time has (sic) our utility services been threatened.”

Former GOP accountant Diane Strube said that’s simply not true. 

“No. It is not. We had not paid the bill for August or September, and we were going into October with zero money,” said Strube.

In fact, Strube said, she’s the former accountant for a reason.

“He couldn’t pay me,” she said. “We were two months behind on all the utilities, rent, and we had no income.”

And while the state party now has an infusion $20,000 from the national party, documents show the state party more than $18,000 in the red.

“My numbers are in black and white. I will open the books to anybody that would like to see these books. The party is broke,” said Strube.

Turner added, “These bank account records they speak for themselves. And I don’t apologize for highlighting reality. That’s not fake news. That’s cold hard facts.”

McLain originally agreed to do an interview with News 9 Thursday, but he cancelled and said he was too busy. News 9 suggested a phone interview, and McLain hasn’t responded to the request.