See if this sounds weird: A man who filed for bankruptcy a few years ago and then recently ordered to turn over some that moolah he didn't report in said bankruptcy is now chairman of a state budget committee. Impossible, you say? Not so fast. That is exactly what Oklahoma Speaker of the House Chris Benge did last week when he appointed Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore, to serve as chairman of the House Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee on Judiciary & Public Safety.
According to recent news reports, Terrill filed for bankruptcy in 2005 but failed to report more than $11,000 in assets. Terrill contended the money was a loan from his 2004 election campaign, but the trustee of Terrill's bankruptcy and a federal judge thought otherwise.
Terrill and his wife had $43,250 in assets plus $78,179 in debts when they filed their 2005 bankruptcy, according to court records.
Does Benge think this is the guy to handle budget appropriations for courts and public safety?
"Rep. Randy Terrill has many talents and with his legal background I believe his appointment to chair the Judiciary and Public Safety budget subcommittee is well-suited to his skills and interests," Benge told the AP.
Terrill had blamed political enemies for his bankrupt troubles. The rep is best known as the father of the anti-immigration law, House Bill 1804, which enacted strict rules and penalties for Oklahoma employers who hire illegal immigrants.
He told news outlets in July that he believed advocates from the Hispanic community were behind the new scrutiny of his bankruptcy case.
