Today's Tulsa World features a very compelling front-page report from Kevin Canfield:

Rick Bjorklund, who was fired as president and CEO of Expo Square, said Thursday that he was instructed by County Commissioner Randi Miller to keep Big Splash Water Park's financial troubles "off the radar."

The fair board last week voted 4-0 to terminate Bjorklund after it was discovered that a check for half of the water park's 2006 rent had gone uncashed for a year and that it had yet to pay its 2007 rent. In addition, Big Splash's outstanding 2007 balance was never listed specifically on the financial reports presented to the fair board.

Bjorklund said Miller, who was fair board chairwoman in 2007, spoke to him about the Big Splash situation in about June of that year.

"The conversation (with Miller) was, 'Ease up on them and get it off the radar,' " he said.

Bjorklund said he told fair board members about Miller's instructions during the executive session held to determine his fate.

"I turned to Randi and I said: 'You had given me instructions, Randi, to get it off the radar screen, and we did that.' ''

Miller on Thursday denied she ever told Bjorklund to cover up anything. "That's a blatant lie," she said. "I knew nothing about their rent not being paid, and I knew nothing about any bounced checks or financial problems that occurred.

"Those decisions could never have been made without the full board's knowledge."

Here's what we know: Someone is lying.

Unless someone can produce supporting evidence one way or the other, it will likely come down to which person you find more believable.

It is an interesting position for Commission Miller in that, according to her colleague John Smaligo, discussions during the Fair Board's executive session are not open to public discussion. As Bjorkland is no longer employed by Expo Square, he is obviously not bound by those same rules.

Bjorkland could make a broad array of allegations with little fear of public disagreement from anyone who attended the executive session.

At least according to the TW story, there are three officials who disagree with Bjorkland (Miller, Collins, and Jerry Murphy).

For her part, Randi Miller is in familiar territory combating the words of someone who is not bound by a legal muzzle. In her effort to be re-elected to the Tulsa County Commission, Miller must first face Sally Bell in the Republican primary. Bell, from the now-defunct Bell's Amusement Park fame, claims that Miller had a personal vendetta against Bell's. Miller claims that Bell's flawed business plan is what led to the demise of Bell's.

Yet, the Bell's business plan cannot be released to the public by Miller or the County Commission. Sally Bell could release it to the public, but claims she will not.

Confidentiality protections - they can either be your best friend, or worst enemy.