Preliminary hearing set for Oklahoma's state school superintendent
A preliminary hearing has been set for August in the criminal case against Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister.
Oklahoma County Special Judge Kevin McCray will decide at the August hearing if prosecutors have sufficient evidence for a jury trial.
Hofmeister, a Tulsa Republican, has denied wrongdoing. She was elected in 2014, and is a former teacher and former member of the state board of education.
Prosecutors have alleged that Hofmeister used the Oklahomans for Public School Excellence to secretly accept illegal excessive donations and illegal corporate donations.
Charged with her in the conspiracy counts are Fount Holland, 53, her chief campaign consultant, and Stephanie Dawn Milligan, 37, a political consultant. Also charged in the conspiracy counts are Lela Odom, 68, who in 2014 was the executive director of the Oklahoma Education Association, and Steven Crawford, 67, who was the executive director of the Cooperative Council for Oklahoma School Administration.
About the Author
Mike Kennedy
Senior Editor
Mike Kennedy has been writing about education for American School & University since 1999. He also has reported on schools and other topics for The Chicago Tribune, The Kansas City Star, The Kansas City Times and City News Bureau of Chicago. He is a graduate of Michigan State University.

