Grand jury recommends Comanche County commissioner’s removal from office

An Oklahoma Attorney General’s multi-county grand jury recommended that Comanche County District No. 1 Commission John Donavon O’Brien be removed from office due to allegations he’s abused his position.

O’Brien is accused of oppression, corruption, and willful maladministration in office, according to the petition filed Tuesday by District 5 District Attorney Kyle Cabelka following his presentation of the case to the grand jury in Oklahoma City. Presiding District Judge Emmit Tayloe signed off on the petition.

District Judge Scott D. Meaders will oversee the case; he was not in the office Tuesday.

Cabelka said Meaders will set a hearing date regarding the petition and O’Brien will be subpoenaed, effectively beginning his suspension with pay.

The application for removal offers allegations mirroring the felony charges leveled against the county commissioner earlier this year.

O’Brien, 55, of Elgin, was charged March 13 in Comanche County District Court with two felony counts of embezzlement by a county official and misdemeanor charges of computer crime and two counts of outraging public decency. The felony counts are punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

The criminal case is being prosecuted through District 6 District Attorney Jason Hicks’ office after Cabelka recused himself. Cabelka also serves as counsel for the Comanche County Board of Commissioners and the recusal avoids a conflict of interest.

O’Brien’s criminal charges stem from an investigation by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation begun on June 16, 2023, after reports from Comanche County employees that O’Brien was using his county-issued truck as his personal vehicle. He is accused of using it for doctor’s appointments in Oklahoma City numerous times since taking office in January 2023, the probable cause affidavit states.

O’Brien told The Constitution that, at this point, he doesn’t want to give any comments but intends to speak with the press in the coming weeks.

“This has all happened because I have misused my county phone for personal business,” he said. “Ah hell, I don’t know who hasn’t.”

“You guys don’t know the whole story,” he said. “We want the facts out there.”

In the removal application for the oppression in office allegations, O’Brien is accused of sending inappropriate and unprofessional sexualized comments and text messages to one of his employees, Tiffany Johle, creating “a hostile work environment”. He’s also accused of terminating Mallory Geiger, Kenneth Curry and Ronald “Tyler” Fletcher from their jobs after they cooperated with the OSBI criminal investigation.

For the corruption in office allegations, O’Brien is accused of using his Comanche County-issued cellphone and pickup for personal use as well as violation of the computer crimes act for the messages sent to Johle and outraging public decency for the worker terminations.

O’Brien’s willful maladministration allegations include embezzlement by using the cellphone and pickup for personal use.

All three employees were terminated between July 25 and July 31, 2023, according to the criminal probable cause affidavit. O’Brien told investigators they were “fired because they were not a good fit for the office.”

A notice of civil action for discrimination filed by Johle against the Board of Commissioners was last discussed during the Jan. 29 commissioners meeting. Following an executive session, it was tabled with a unanimous vote, including a vote by O’Brien. Following the executive session, District 3 Commissioner Josh Powers, board chairman, said he would attend a mediation for the complaint.