Group pushes for recall of Enid commissioner over alleged connection to hate groups
ENID, Okla. (KFOR) – A group in Enid announced it plans to recall Ward 1 City Commissioner Judd Blevins due to claims that he has ties to a white supremacy group. Enid Social Justice Committee said Blevins has been given multiple opportunities to deny his connection to hate groups but has ignored questions on the topic.
“For an elected public official refusal to answer any questions about any serious issue would be cause for recall,” said Father James Neal, co-chair for Enid Social Justice Committee.
May 2023: Commissioner accused of having white nationalist ties sworn into Enid City Commission
Pictures of the commissioner involved in white supremacy groups surfaced in 2019, before Blevins was elected, in an article by Right Wing Watch. The article also detailed online chat conversations and events Blevins attended. He also allegedly recruited Oklahomans for the neo-Nazi group called Identity Evropa.
The report resurfaced a few weeks before Blevins was elected to office.
“It was reported on by the newspaper shortly before the election,” said Neal. “But by and large, I think most of the people in his ward just didn’t know about it, didn’t read the paper, weren’t aware.”
Enid Social Justice Committee said it will launch a recall campaign on November 5 and will need more than 200 in-person signatures from registered voters in Ward 1. If enough signatures were collected, then those would go to the city clerk for verification.
“Then that goes to the city commission immediately and they’re required to call a public election at that point,” said Neal.
In May, KFOR asked Blevins if the claims that he has ties to hate groups were true, but he would not comment. He did, however, respond to Enid News and Eagle with a statement when asked about the upcoming recall.
“Regrettably, this fringe group has chosen to continue a smear campaign against me and if they insist on going forward with this process, it will be an added cost to taxpayers.”
If the recall goes through, Blevins could run for the office again.
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