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Updated Ethics Complaint Filed Against Keating Governor's Relationship With Dreyfus At Issue OKLAHOMA CITY, 5:47 p.m. CDT August 1, 2001 -- An updated ethics complaint filed against Gov. Frank Keating Wednesday accuses the Republican governor of violating state ethics guidelines when he accepted $250,000 from retired Wall Street financier Jack Dreyfus.

The complaint, filed by Oklahoma City NAACP President Roosevelt Milton, says the governor has accepted up to $120,000 from Dreyfus either for himself, his wife or his children since he became governor in 1995 or was a declared candidate, in violation of ethics rules.

It also accuses Keating of helping Dreyfus promote the drug Dilantin as late as 1999 and 2000 by arranging meetings for Dreyfus or writing to public officials about the drug -- allegations that first appeared in newspaper accounts of the so-called "Dreyfus Affair" last month.

"We do feel like there's a legitimate basis for this complaint," said Gordon Melson, the former executive director of the Oklahoma Democratic Party who helped draft the complaint.

Keating's press secretary, John Cox, said Milton's role in the complaint has made Milton and his organization a pawn of the Democratic Party.

"The governor has fully disclosed all issues relating to this matter and considers it closed," Cox said.

"This is a non-partisan effort," Milton said during a news conference. "We came to you on behalf of integrity and on behalf of ethics in government."

Keating has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in promoting Dilantin on Dreyfus' behalf. He returned the $250,000 in all he received after questions were raised earlier this year about the propriety of accepting the cash gifts.

The ethics complaint is similar to one that Milton filed against Keating in January that accused the governor of violating his oath and the law.

"We don't know if it's been dismissed," Melson said. "They may be trying to investigate it."

The new complaint was filed under guidelines that allow the Ethics Commission to initiate an investigation with a majority vote, Melson said. The first complaint required a unanimous vote. One member of the five-member commission is appointed by the governor.

It also addresses concerns that too much time may have passed for the commission to initiate an investigation of Keating's relationship with Dreyfus.

Marilyn Hughes, executive director of the state Ethics Commission, has said that any violation older than three years is outside the commission's jurisdiction.

Democrats accuse Keating of violating state ethics laws by not reporting money from Dreyfus on form F-1R -- a form used by elected officials to list other sources of income.

According to the form, elected officials must list all sources of income that exceed $5,000 unless it is a gift or inheritance from a family member.

Keating did not list the money from Dreyfus on his forms filed from 1994 -- when he first was a candidate for governor -- to 2001.

-- Anonymous, August 01, 2001