DA says judge concealed donors, should step down from all her cases

In an unprecedented move, a new Oklahoma County judge is being asked to step down from every criminal case being prosecuted by District Attorney David Prater and his assistants.

District Judge Kendra Coleman is being accused by the district attorney of concealing the identities of her final campaign donors in deliberate violation of state ethics rules and the state Code of Judicial Conduct.

"There can be no question that this Court's defiance ... casts a dark shadow on the sanctity of the judiciary," Prater wrote in a recusal request filed Wednesday.

At issue is the judge's failure to file her last required report on who contributed to her 2018 campaign in the days just before and after the Nov. 6 election. That report was due at the Ethics Commission Jan. 31, more than seven months ago.