Rogers County DA Sues Over Petition Drive

CLAREMORE, Okla. (AP) – District Attorney Janice Steidley has filed a defamation lawsuit against the Rogers County leaders who spearheaded a petition drive to get her removed from office.

Steidley filed the lawsuit Wednesday against Rogers County Sheriff Scott Walton, Claremore police officers John Singer and Steve Cox and others. The group gathered the nearly 7,000 signatures needed to impanel a grand jury, but a judge ruled this week that improper paperwork was used.

The Claremore Daily Progress reports that Steidley’s lawsuit claims she and others in her office were wrongly and maliciously accused of criminal and civil misconduct.

The petition had asked for an investigation into allegations that Steidley tampered with witnesses, wiretapped courthouse employees along with an assistant district attorney, and sent threatening text messages to a deputy sheriff.