Hawkins complained in his email that legislators took the action because of new restrictions imposed on gift getting and on becoming a lobbyist after leaving office.

"I am appalled," the chairman, John C. Hawkins, wrote in an email sent Sunday to state senators and House members. "The retaliation on a state agency by cutting their budget for doing their job is unconscionable."

The chairman of the Oklahoma Ethics Commission is accusing legislators of retaliating against the watchdog agency by illegally cutting its budget.

At issue is that the Ethics Commission is not getting any money next fiscal year from the state's general revenue fund. "Zero," the Ethics Commission's executive director, Ashley Kemp, said.

Instead it is being required to use $710,351 from a fund made up of fees collected from lobbyists, candidates, political parties and political action committees.

The Ethics Commission normally uses this revolving fund to take enforcement actions and to provide education on ethical requirements. It also will need the revolving fund next fiscal year to pay for the continuing costs of filing and viewing campaign contribution reports online.

"How do you propose that we now open an investigation when you come to us with a breach of the rules?" Hawkins wrote legislators. "How do you propose that we protect the electorate from collusion on a mass scale to sway elections? How would you like for us to choose who receives education and help?"