Tulsa World: Initial witness list full of notables

MAKE US YOUR HOMEPAGE | Saturday, November 21, 2009 | WIRELESS

Home > News > Article

Newspaper View Print this story

Comment

RSS

Bookmark

Initial witness list full of notables
Among 125 people and groups listed are sena- tors, a county commis- sioner and an ex-mayor.

By APRIL MARCISZEWSKI World Staff Writer
Published: 7/31/2008 2:28 AM
Last Modified: 8/18/2008 11:42 AM

Complete Coverage: Read the latest ORU stories, view the lawsuit and other documents and watch slide shows and video.

See all 125 people and groups on Tim and Paulita Brookers’ preliminary witness list: tulsaworld.com/ oruwitness

Among 125 people and groups listed are sena- tors, a county commis- sioner and an ex-mayor.

A preliminary witness list filed Wednesday in a lawsuit against Oral Roberts University includes such notables as U.S. Sens. Jim Inhofe and Tom Coburn, former Tulsa Mayor Bill LaFortune and County Commissioner Randi Miller.

The 125 people and groups were listed in a Tulsa County District Court filing by former ORU professors Tim and Paulita Brooker, who sued ORU and others in October.

Lawyers have begun interviewing people related to the case for research and trial preparation. A pretrial conference is set for Jan. 26.

Those involved in the lawsuit are prevented by a gag order from talking about the case outside of court, so they can't explain why each witness is included, said Paul Boudreaux, an attorney for the Brookers.

Miller's name came up in the first version of the Brookers' lawsuit. The Brookers — and former plaintiff John Swails, who

settled his part of the case and returned to teaching at ORU — claimed that then-ORU President Richard Roberts forced Tim Brooker's government students to help with Miller's campaign for Tulsa mayor in 2006.

The Brookers also alleged that Tim Brooker was forced to lie to the IRS about Roberts' allegedly requiring students to help on the campaign. Also in the mayoral race that year, LaFortune, the incumbent, ran for re-election.

Two former members of Congress — Bob Beauprez of Colorado and James Traficant of Ohio, who was convicted of taking bribes, fraud and racketeering — are listed as witnesses.

Brooker's government students routinely worked on campaigns to gain experience and to network.

A Gary Jones, possibly the Jones who is chairman of the state Republican Party, is included in the list of potential witnesses, along with former ORU government students.

Former ORU regents, in- cluding televangelists Benny Hinn and Kenneth Copeland, and local religious leaders Carlton Pearson and Bill Scheer, are listed as witnesses. Roberts; his wife, Lindsay Roberts; and his father and ORU founder, Oral Roberts, are also included.

Also listed is Ole Anthony, president of the Trinity Foundation in Dallas, which investigates religious media.

Jerry Isaacs, ORU's campus security director; Lee Belmonte, a private investigator; and Sam Douglass, a pilot, have all been subpoenaed in the case and are listed as witnesses. "Former nannies of Richard and Lindsay Roberts" and several ORU administrators are included.

Richard Roberts resigned in November after intense scrutiny and accusations spawned by the suit. The board of regents was replaced by a board of trustees when the Green family, which founded the Hobby Lobby and Mardel retail chains, donated $70 million to the debt-ridden school.

Now ORU is conducting a presidential search and working to implement a system of shared responsibility., updating the campus and more.

April Marciszewski 581-8475
april.marciszewski@tulsaworld.com By APRIL MARCISZEWSKI World Staff Writer

Newspaper View Print this story

Comment

RSS

Bookmark

Reader Comments

Show: Most Recent Comment First

Add your comment

4 comments have been made on this story so far. Tell us what you think below!

Reporting Comments

If you see a comment that violates our terms and conditions, please help us by clicking the "Report this Comment" link next to a comment. That will alert the web staff to review the comment. Thank you. -- Web Editor Jason Collington

	Report Comment pm, (8/1/2008 3:00:55 AM) When this is all over the Roberts will be destroyed, axed to death, but there will still be wrong going on at ORU and nothing will be done about it. But the Roberts will be destroyed, axed there will be nothing left at all. But it will not be better just more hiding things that are being done at ORU.
	Report Comment pm, (8/1/2008 3:22:02 AM) I just saw that the next court date is in Jan of 2009. Alot can happen between now and then if you get my point.
	Report Comment Faith Mom, Virginia Beach (8/1/2008 7:16:09 AM) Phil, "SEC, former nanny" has made some serious allegations against the Roberts family in a public forum. No sympathy here that she has been called as a witness. Time to be accountable for all the things she has said. She needs to either back up the allegations or be discredited herself. It seems like most of her testimony would be "here say", but time will tell.
	Report Comment Fifty Dollar Fine, (8/9/2008 5:08:52 AM) I support SEC all the way. She knows what she is talking about and if called, I have no doubts she will do very well for herself.

Add Your Comment
In order to post a comment on this article, you must sign in to Tulsaworld.com. If you do not have a site account, you can create an account for free.