Former board alternate sues Oklahoma State Election Board

Jenni White spoke to reporters Monday, claiming her First Amendment rights were violated after her removal from the Oklahoma County Election Board. (Kennedy Thomason/Oklahoma Voice)

OKLAHOMA CITY – A former Oklahoma County Election Board alternate is suing the Oklahoma State Election Board after it alleged she made false claims. 

Jenni White was fired from her alternate position on the Oklahoma County Election Board in February after questioning the absentee ballot counting process. Former member Cheryl Williams was also removed. 

In a suit filed June 19, White is seeking damages in a jury trial. Mark Hammons, Sr., an attorney specializing in employment law, is representing White.

The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District. Defendants are State Election Board Secretary Paul Ziriax and members Heather Mahieu Cline, Tim Mauldin and Mignon Lambley. 

White said she decided to sue because a board member should not be able to “smear the reputation” of another member because “they don’t like being challenged.” She also said Oklahomans deserve to know what is going on in their elections. 

“I strenuously disagree with the Oklahoma State Election Board’s characterizations of my actions and their direction to have me investigated by the two highest law enforcement offices in the state, as though I’ve done something wrong,” White said. “When ironically, all I was trying to do was have them follow the law.”

White was referred to the Oklahoma County District Attorney and the Oklahoma Attorney General. There has been no action from their offices, White said.

The board accused White of failure to perform duties prescribed by law; dissemination of false information about Oklahoma’s election system and procedures; failure to immediately remove false information from the public domain; lack of respectfulness and professionalism; and behavior unbecoming of an Oklahoma election official, according to Jan. 31 meeting minutes.

After becoming aware of alleged issues with the Oklahoma County Election Board’s operations, White said she shared her concerns with a state representative and Oklahoma County Republican Party Chairman Ken Warner. 

White alleges that during special elections on Sept. 12 and Oct. 10, board members observed vote counting via CCTV and were unable to see the entire room, movement of the ballots, the count on the election machines and tallies from the machines, according to documents. 

On Oct. 16, White met with the Oklahoma County Republican Party, where several state representatives were present, according to documents. 

White uploaded a formal complaint against State Election Board Secretary Paul Ziriax to her website, which deals with parental rights in Oklahoma’s public education system, on Jan. 7. Her grievances were “improprieties” of canvassing and counting absentee ballots, according to documents.

Three weeks later, White discussed election issues on a public podcast, according to documents. 

The next day, she received a letter from Ziriax requiring her to attend a State Election Board meeting on Jan. 31. White was removed from her position because the board alleged she disseminated false election information, according to documents.

Ziriax declined to comment on pending litigation. 

White alleges her First Amendment rights were violated after publishing her “opinions and observations” online.

“I believe it was a violation of my First Amendment rights because as soon as I found out what was wrong, I began notifying other people, and I actually have published the information that I have been documenting on my website,” White said.

Cline said “due diligence” and “proper care” were taken with the removal of White and Williams, according to Jan. 31 meeting minutes.

“Further, any action taken by this board is not retaliatory or discriminatory in any way, it will be solely based on the facts and circumstances surrounding their actions or non-actions while serving as a board member, their truthfulness, and whether they have faithfully discharged their assigned duties under the law,” Cline said. 

Despite allegations of improper procedure, White said she does not believe any election results should be thrown into question. 

“I’m not trying to insinuate anything like that at all,” White said. “All I’m trying to do is say, if we have laws, then we need to follow laws.”

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