Oklahoma Ethics Commission defends switching back to legacy 'Guardian' after failed replacement

The Director of the Oklahoma Ethics Commission told the General Government Transportation Appropriations Subcommittee that the agency terminated a contract for a replacement campaign‑finance system after repeated missed deliverables and significant data conversion errors.

The director said the commission pursued the project through an RFP process but "the vendor really repeatedly missed contractual deliverables," prompting formal warnings, independent technical assessment with OMES, and ultimately termination after a critical December milestone was not met. "We did have many issues with data conversion...it affected over 60% of our filers," the director said, explaining the decision to pause and prioritize accuracy over a rushed launch.

To ensure continuous lawful filing and public access, the commission arranged a contract with the legacy vendor for up to three years and plans to use registration fees to absorb restoration costs. The director said the agency has referred the recoupment matter to the attorney general's office and expects the solicitor general's office to review materials and pursue recovery in Oklahoma County district court if appropriate.

Committee members asked about the $960,000 the commission spent on Guardian 2 deliverables and whether the legacy system could be adapted to include political subdivisions. The director said the legacy vendor is reviewing requirements and the agency is hopeful the older system can be updated to add political subdivision reporting in the near term; meanwhile political subdivisions are being asked to record campaign finance information on paper.

The director emphasized the constitutional duty to provide a reliable filing system and said the commission will continue education and rollout efforts for political‑subdivision filers during the transition period.