MUSKOGEE, Okla. — The Muskogee City Council met in special session, to discuss potential legal issues involving one of its own.
Vice Mayor Derrick Reed is director of the Martin Luther King Center.
WATCH: TABLED: Muskogee council takes no action on Reed conflict case
Interim city attorney Keri Spencer says the center has received more than $1 million public dollars over the years.
“That indirect conflict of interest is in violation of Article 10, Section 11 of the Oklahoma Constitution, which attaches criminal liability for violations,” Spencer said.
Muskogee mayor Ryan Lowe said he heard from citizens concerned about the potential conflict. In response, he called the special meeting for June 18.
“This is not a judgment of Reed’s performance, or extensive careers serving the community. Deputy mayor Reed is a huge part, if not the biggest part, of what makes the MLK Center so special and so successful,” Lowe said.
A couple of dozen Muskogee neighbors filled the council chambers. Several of them, offering ardent support of Reed, including Andre Jones.
“The law and the Bible is similarity. It depends on what preacher is reading it to what it say. Tonight, we need an effort to look at this situation, so that we’re not destroying our city,” Jones said.
Despite all of the strong support for Reed, and all the opposition toward legal efforts, there was at least one citizen in favor of the legal efforts
“[The mayor is] not just handsome, he’s credible. That man, went to a woman, who looked out for us, the people of Muskogee,” Nina Grounds said, “Corruption, collusion, and conflict of interest have plagued Muskogee.”
“If I had an opportunity to do it all over again, I’d spend every hour that I spent at the Martin Luther King Center, as long as God gives me strength to to do that, I wanna be able to do that. I apologize, that on this Juneteenth eve, we’re here tonight fighting such a cause,” Reed said, closing the meeting.
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