Monday, January 28, 2008

News Flash: Rep. Cargill Steps Down as GOP House Speaker

First it was his failure to file his personal tax returns for two years running. Then it was delinquent property taxes on his Harrah law office for six straight years.

Today, Rep. Lance Cargill, the Republican Speaker of the Oklahoma House, resigned his post as speaker amid, as one report put it, "a swirl of controversy."

This is a huge reversal of fortune for Cargill, 35, a Vanderbilt Law School graduate who was at the time of his election the nation's youngest House speaker.

According to press reports, Cargill will be replaced as speaker by Rep. Gus Blackwell, a Republican from Goodwell.

The Daily Oklahoman broke the original story of Cargill's tax woes, news that put the Harrah legislator in the spotlight. Following up, Okie Funk posted a good round-up of Cargill's troubles a few days ago, a posting that also called on Cargill to step down.

No comments: