By FOX23 News
TULSA, Okla. – Petitioners have 43 more days to gather 5,000 signatures from Tulsa County voters to call for a grand jury to investigate Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler.
The petition, which was filed on September 23, was approved days later. It asks that a grand jury investigate the DA’s office under Kunzweiler’s leadership. This includes any possibility of neglect of duty, corruption, misuse of public resources, rewarding employee misconduct, or hiding public records.
If a grand jury convenes and finds evidence of wrongdoing, it could lead to an indictment or action to remove Kunzweiler from office.
After the petition was approved, the DA’s office sent this statement to FOX23:
“The statements contained within the request to impanel a grand jury need to be reviewed by a judge. That is a part of the process. Importantly, that judge should not be a potential witness. Whomever is the judge assigned to this case, ultimately he or she must thereafter determine the legal sufficiency of the petition’s allegations in order to then authorize signature collections. As the statutorily designated representative to assist in grand jury proceedings, the Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office will make sure all processes are followed. Grand juries are a part of Oklahoma’s legal process, and we will comply with the law as written and as directed.”
The petition was spearheaded by a group of citizens concerned about Kunzweiler’s leadership at the DA’s office.
