Gov. Fallin Hires Outside Lawyer For Execution Review, Legal Advice

Wednesday, October 7th 2015, 10:06 pm

By: Grant Hermes

A familiar face will soon be back in the capitol building. Governor Mary Fallin hired former Oklahoma U.S. Attorney Robert McCampbell Wednesday, as an outside attorney to help investigate the state's death penalty protocol and give legal advice, according to her office.

McCampbell specializes in election law, litigation and white collar crime. A graduate of Yale Law School, McCampbell worked for the Department of Justice’s white collar crime division, according to his company bio. He served as U.S. Attorney for Oklahoma’s Western District from 2001 to 2005 before returning to private practice in Oklahoma City for FellersSnider Law Firm.

But McCampbell is no stranger to scandal. He represented former Governor Frank Keating when he battled the state ethics Commission in the late 90s during his trial against the Oklahoma Ethics Commission. Keating was accused of using state transportation to attend a political event. He was acquitted of his charges.

McCampbell also represented the now disgraced former state senator Debbie Leftwich who was convicted of bribery in 2013. Leftwich was sentenced to one year probation for agreeing not to run for re-election in exchange for a position in the state medical examiner’s office. He's also been a legal counsel for Fallin when she was taken to court over changes to the state's workers' compensation laws two years ago.

According to the governor's office, McCampbell is being brought in, apart from Attorney General Scott Pruitt’s office which is already doing an investigation of its own into what happened during Richard Glossip's most recent near-execution.

Fallin’s spokesperson, Alex Weintz said in an email l "The governor is therefore being represented by an independent counsel to receive legal advice and representation from an experienced attorney who has not been directly involved in Oklahoma's executions." He added Fallin has confidence in Pruitt’s office and her own legal team. She employs three lawyers as well as a legal assistant.

But when asked whether the Attorney General felt slighted by McCampbell's hiring, Pruitt’s press secretary, Will Gattenby said no. “It's a reflection of how serious the situation [surrounding the protocol] is,” he said.