Hofmeister Defense Fund Nets More Than $75,000

A special defense fund has filed with the Oklahoma Ethics Commission for a public official; the first time in state history.

The Joy Hofmeister Defense Fund has raised more than $75,000 dollars for the state superintendent.

Hofmeister is currently accused of four felonies for allegedly violating campaign laws in 2014.

There have only been a handful of donors for the fund, including

Tulsa Oil and gas investors Stacy Schusterman and George Kaiser and the owner of a Tulsa Trucking company Daniel Christner each gave $25,000 dollars.

Oklahoma City banker H.R. “Gene” Rainbolt gave $500.

Hofmeister was charged alongside Steven Crawford, formerly with the Cooperative Council for Oklahoma

School Administration, Lela Odom, the former executive director of the Oklahoma Educators Association, and two campaign advisers, Robert Fount Holland and Stephanie Milligan, who was later a key member of President Donald Trump's campaign.

The superintendent has stayed quiet about the charges, refusing to answer any questions about them directly. The only time she addressed them was in a press conference last year.

“I am confident that my actions throughout my campaign more than two years ago were consistent with these values and in compliance with the law,” Hofmeister said in the days following her indictment.

And the rest of the GOP has stayed out of it too. Only Gov. Mary Fallin talked about the charges against Hofmeister back in January, in an unreleased answer from News 9's exclusive interview.

“I think everybody should have their day in court and to be able to present their evidence,” Fallin said. “But it will be up to her and her attorneys and the district attorney that she's working with to decide what they want to do.”

The chair of the defense fund, Tulsa entrepreneur Henry Primeaux, said Hofmeister is “most appreciative” of the donations.

“I think she’s innocent,” he said. “She professed to me her innocence and a few other things.”

Primeaux wouldn’t elaborate on what those “other things” were but said Hofmeister’s involvement with the alleged wrongdoings have been “misrepresented.”

“I personally believe she was used by other people,” he said in a halted response. “I can’t see any guilt on her part.”

Hofmeister is due in court in August.