Dark money creeps into OKC City Council election between Marek Cornett and JoBeth Hamon

As Oklahoma City residents get ready to elect four new city council representatives, one closely contested race between two candidates in the city's central ward is attracting dark money.

Catalyst Oklahoma, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit that does not have to report its donors, has spent over $37,000 in digital advertisements and canvassing opposing Ward 6 incumbent Councilwoman JoBeth Hamon's reelection bid. Marek Cornett, owner of marketing agency Alaine Digital, is Hamon's only opponent in the Feb. 14 election.

More:Ward 6 OKC city council debate set for tonight between JoBeth Hamon and Marek Cornett

The ads accuse Hamon of being "anti-military" and "anti-jobs," and also quote her from interviews regarding her view of policing. Hamon said the advertisements ignore nuance, and could undermine potential conversations between herself and voters. Posted by OKC United, "a project of Catalyst Oklahoma," the ads look like campaign mailers, but so far Hamon said she doesn't know of them being physically mailed out.

Cornett, in an interview with The Oklahoman, said she has had no involvement with the group and regrets that there is dark money involved in any level of politics, let alone the local and nonpartisan level. There should be no other voices involved besides herself and Hamon, she said.

But Cornett said it also isn't her place to denounce the advertisements.

"They're using her own votes and her own words against her," Cornett said. "And so it's hard for me to denounce an attack ad that ... is literally what she said. And for me to jump out as a candidate and say, 'Well, here's the context,' that's her job and she's doing that."

Catalyst Oklahoma has a history with Cornett campaigns

Catalyst Oklahoma's standing as a 501(c)(4) means there is limited information regarding who is funding the organization, but there are connections to the Ward 6 city council race.

For example, this isn't the first time Catalyst Oklahoma funding benefitted a Cornett.

Marek Cornett is the daughter-in-law of former mayor Mick Cornett, who served as Oklahoma City mayor from 2005 to 2018, and unsuccessfully ran against Kevin Stitt in a Republican primary for governor in 2018.

According to The Oklahoman, Catalyst spent $1.16 million, some of which was used for robocalls and mailers during the 2014 mayor's race between Mick Cornett and Ed Shadid.

And in 2018, Catalyst gave a cash grant of $250,000 to the Foundation for Economic Prosperity, which ultimately spent more than $438,000 in television and digital advertisements supporting Cornett's bid for governor.

Between 2016 and 2019, Catalyst paid Jones PR — the Oklahoma City-based marketing company where Mick Cornett began working in 2019 — a total of $1,111,550 for its marketing services. Brenda Jones Barwick, Jones PR president and CEO, said the company has not worked with Catalyst since 2018. The last payment from the nonprofit to Jones for $113,500 in 2019 was for services done in 2018, Barwick said.

"There is no connection between Mick's role at Jones PR and his daughter-in-law's campaign nor with Catalyst," she said.

When asked about Catalyst's involvement in the Ward 6 city council election, Mick Cornett said he didn't "know anything about it."

Cornett told The Oklahoman he didn't have any connection to Catalyst, or know why the group supported him in the past.

"No one ever brought it up to me," Cornett said.

4 races and 12 candidates. OKC city council election could lead to massive upheaval

Catalyst directors have ties to OKC City Council

Two individuals in leadership positions at Catalyst Oklahoma have ties to the city council as well.

Former Ward 6 councilor Meg Salyer and former Oklahoma City mayor Ron Norick are listed as directors of the group, according to 2021 Oklahoma Secretary of State records.

Norick did not respond to requests for comment, while Salyer said she is no longer involved in the organization and was not involved in the advertisements.

"I can't emphasize that enough. I have had zero input in the Ward 6 race," Salyer said.

Why is Catalyst Oklahoma involved in this race?

Allen Wright, Catalyst's executive director, told The Oklahoman in a statement that the nonprofit is focused on Oklahoma City's growth and prosperity, and wants leaders who will "protect and fund public safety." Hamon has voted "no" on the city's annual budget since 2020 because of her opposition to the amount of funding police receive.

"Councilwoman JoBeth Hamon has repeatedly voiced her opinions against and been noticeably absent when it comes to advocating for our brave men and women who work in public safety," Wright said. "Our effort is focused on allowing voters to see JoBeth’s words during her time as a member of the city council."

Not sure if you live in OKC's Ward 6?Check here and meet your city council election candidates

Cornett's campaign has raised more than $125,000, a little over double Hamon's $58,000. Cornett has spent $67,000 and Hamon has spent $26,000.

What do these dark money advertisements say about JoBeth Hamon?

One advertisement features screenshots of tweets Hamon made explaining why she voted against a job creation incentive for a company that would be producing drones out of Tinker Air Force Base. Another reads "Losing Tinker Air Force Base would be devastating to Oklahoma City."

Hamon said these are oversimplifications of votes she has made regarding Tinker, and her stance on the military-industrial complex.

"These images ... flatten these conversations about what being pro or anti something is," Hamon said. "They are just trying to create this binary sort of decision making or binary thinking that is not really honest to how people navigate the world."

OKC United's posts also quote Hamon on her views on policing, including in a 2020 interview where she said she wanted to "reimagine what public safety means" and that it doesn't have to be police.

Another ad quotes a 2020 Facebook post from Hamon in which she said, "The continued violent murder of Black lives by police is terrorism."

"All of these issues ... deserve a lot more nuance and conversation than the way that these are being framed," said Hamon, who feels the group might be targeting her because of her tendency to ask questions and express "very strong opinions on things related to police accountability."

Former Ward 4 councilor Pete White, who served on the council in the 1980s, and also from 2005 to 2017, feels Hamon is effectively acting as the current council's "conscience" by speaking out on these issues.

"I just think she stands up for and says the things that need to be said," White said. "And she's unafraid to do it. And that's a rare commodity."

Oklahoma City Council elections:Check OKC ward map, where to vote and more

Has dark money made its way to Oklahoma City council elections before?

While some find it surprising that this money would find its way to the municipal, nonpartisan level of government, it's not the first time it happened.

The Oklahoman reported in 2011 that two dark money groups, the Committee for Oklahoma City Momentum and the Better Local Government PAC, spent more than $545,000 supporting candidates in that year's city council elections.

Another outside group has supported Ward 5 candidate Matt Hinkle for the upcoming election. Build and Protect OKC LLC spent nearly $16,000 on mailers and digital ads supporting Hinkle.

The organization's website says its "mission is to promote public policies that will build on Oklahoma City’s strengths and keep our neighborhoods safe and strong," but the group did not respond to requests for comment.

Dean Schirf, who served as the Oklahoma City Chamber's vice president of government relations from 1979 to 2009, said he didn't remember dark money involvement at the city council level during his 30 years.

"Hardly anything is ever positive in these elections," Schirf said. "I'm a little bit disappointed that (dark money) has now come down into the area of local government."

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OKC Ward 6 election candidates Hamon, Cornett on dark money ads