STILLWATER, Okla., (The Oklahoma Post) – August 3rd, 2025
In what appears to be Oklahoma’s most aggressive use of citizen grand jury petitions in a decade, two separate movements are testing the limits of governmental accountability—and in one case, prosecutors are fighting back with criminal charges against the petition organizers themselves.
While Oklahomans for Children’s Rights (OFCR) pushes forward with their multi-county campaign alleging child welfare crimes by state officials, Wagoner County District Attorney Jack Thorp has launched an unprecedented counteroffensive, pursuing nearly 600 felony charges against citizens who tried—and failed—to remove him from office.
The Wagoner County Showdown: When Petitions Become Criminal
The death of Angela Liggans should have been preventable. Denied insulin for over four days in Wagoner County jail, her death resulted in a staggering $13.5 million settlement. For many citizens, it was the final straw.
Wagoner County Citizens Against Corruption LLC filed their petition in April 2024, seeking to remove both DA Jack Thorp and Sheriff Chris Elliott from office. They fell 570 signatures short of the required 4,300—a failure that should have ended the matter.
Instead, Thorp went on the offensive.
Armed with three criminal statutes, Thorp is pursuing charges against petition organizers for alleged procedural violations, including nearly 600 felony counts related to petition warning requirements. In July 2025, authorities executed a search warrant seizing all petition documents without redacting the personal information of citizens who signed.
Statement from State Rep. Gabe Woolley on Wagoner County Petition Retaliation Concerns
The aggressive response has drawn attention from the state’s highest law enforcement office. Attorney General Gentner Drummond has assumed oversight of the investigation, while Rep. Gabe Woolley updates Oklahoman’s last week:
Wagoner County and Fellow Oklahomans,
Here’s an important update:
In my ongoing effort to keep you informed and ensure transparency in our government, I’ve taken your concerns about the grand jury petition process & your concerns of retaliation directly to our federal representatives. My motivation for this is to simply make sure they are up to date on things happening in their district & state.
Today, I spent over an hour meeting with Congressman Kevin Hern’s office, where I shared documentation and a detailed timeline outlining the situation. They are now aware of what has transpired.
I’ve also received initial responses from two additional congressional offices and will continue engaging with them as this matter develops.
I want to thank Congressman Hern and the other members of Congress for taking the time to listen to the voices of Oklahomans.
⸻
The promise that I made to you all is that I would fight to ‘Restore Power To The People’ & pushback on government overreach. My office will continue to keep you updated on this matter. It is my honor to serve you.
More updates coming soon.
—State Representative, Gabe Woolley
Political Pressure Mounts
Even without successful grand juries, the OFCR movement has generated significant political momentum. Rep. Humphrey’s Criminal Justice Committee voted to request an OSBI investigation after September 2024 hearings featuring emotional testimony from affected families.
Though OSBI initially declined, citing jurisdictional limits, the political pressure continues building. Reports of DHS officials threatening Sen. Shane Jett and coordination with established groups like the NAACP suggest the movement may be gaining institutional support.
The OFCR petition bears the signatures of an eclectic coalition that spans political parties, professions, and personal experiences with the system.
Leading the charge is former Democratic State Senator Constance N. Johnson, whose legislative background lends institutional weight to the grassroots effort. She’s joined by current Republican Rep. Justin Humphrey and his son Austin W. Humphrey, creating a rare bipartisan front.
The petition also includes Trish Ranson and Mark Ranson, whose involvement underscores the family-focused nature of the movement, many signatories are parents or relatives who’ve experienced the child welfare system firsthand. Rounding out the group are advocates Randy Grellner, Darrell Dougherty, and Gracie Laughter, representing the broader community of Oklahomans who’ve witnessed or documented alleged failures in protecting children. This diverse group of ten signatories—from former state senators to citizen advocates reflects the widespread concern crossing traditional political and social boundaries.
Attorney General Responds to Retaliation Concerns
In response to growing concerns that citizens involved in the Wagoner County petition effort were facing retaliation, Attorney General Gentner Drummond issued a formal letter on July 30, 2025 to Rep. Gabe Woolley. In the letter, Drummond affirms his office’s commitment to protecting the constitutional right to petition for a grand jury “without fear of retaliation.” He emphasized that “no retaliation against any citizen for lawfully exercising that right will be tolerated during [his] tenure as Attorney General,” and added that his office or other state agencies would oversee any further investigation, free from conflict of interest. The statement, prompted by Rep. Woolley’s outreach to multiple federal offices, adds new weight to claims that the state’s citizen grand jury process may be under threat from those in power.
OFCR’s Sweeping Allegations Target Child Welfare System
Meanwhile, in courthouses across Oklahoma, a different grand jury petition battle unfolds—one alleging systematic crimes against the state’s most vulnerable citizens: children.
The OFCR petition, filed in multiple counties including Payne, Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Grady, reads like a criminal indictment of Oklahoma’s child welfare system. Led by founder Mandy Reed and backed by State Rep. J.J. Humphrey (R-Lane), the petition makes explosive allegations:
- Document falsification by Oklahoma Human Services staff
- Failure to report child abuse
- Conspiracy between agencies to obstruct investigations
- Judges allowing perjury to “silence the voices of abused children”
- Racketeering schemes involving private attorneys billing taxpayers
“We will put on the armor of God and we will fight every day side by side,” Reed declared at a recent signature-gathering event.
The petition names over 20 officials, from agency directors to sitting judges, creating potential political earthquakes ahead of the 2026 election cycle.
A Legislative Trail of Concern
The petition traces its origins back to August 29, 2024, when the Oklahoma House Committee on Criminal Justice and Corrections, chaired by Rep. Humphrey, held a hearing to examine systemic failures in child welfare oversight. Humphrey later submitted a formal request to OSBI to investigate state agencies based on dozens of public testimonies.
On March 14, 2025, District Attorney Adam Panter formally requested a Multicounty Grand Jury to investigate similar claims involving OKDHS and related entities.
These requests are now joined by citizen action. The petition filed in Payne County as GJ-2025-1 names numerous public officials, including:
- Deborah Shropshire and Jeff Cartmell (OKDHS)
- Judge Richard Ogden, Judge Nikki Leach, and Judge Michael Kulling
- Laura Austin Thomas, DA for Payne and Logan Counties
- Justice Dustin P. Rowe, Oklahoma Supreme Court Chief
- Gayland Gieger, Oklahoma Deputy AG
- Attorneys W.R. Moon Jr. and Wellon Poe, Collins Zorn & Wagner
- House Speaker Kyle Hilbert and former Speaker Charles McCall
The petition alleges these officials committed or facilitated crimes including falsification of court records, fraud upon the court, obstruction of justice, and racketeering.
2026 Electoral Implications: Who’s Vulnerable?
Several officials named in the OFCR petition are slated to face voters in 2026.
Laura Austin Thomas, District 9’s District Attorney since 2015, is accused of refusing to investigate abuse and failing to organize required multi-disciplinary teams. In 2018, she won re-election with 55.8% of the vote, but her failure to prosecute the Kevin Etherington child exploitation case in 2022 has already drawn fire.
Judge Michael Kulling, once a longtime ADA in child welfare cases, is now accused of permitting perjury and fraud that harmed Payne County children. He ran unopposed in 2022.
House Speaker Kyle Hilbert, Oklahoma’s youngest Speaker at just 30, is also named. While no direct misconduct has been proven, his proximity to policy levers may draw scrutiny. His platform on budget transparency and workforce development may insulate him from immediate fallout.
Judge Nikki Leach, appointed by Gov. Mary Fallin in 2014, is listed, though her current judicial status is unclear.
Mixed Results, Lasting Impact
Oklahoma is one of only six states that allows direct citizen grand jury petitions. The OFCR effort shows both its potential and its limits:
- Tulsa County: Petition denied, despite 452 pages of evidence
- Oklahoma County: Over 3,000 signatures collected
- Grady County: Petition approved; signature collection ongoing
- Payne County: Status pending
Despite legal obstacles, the movement is gaining traction. Signature gathering is happening at, pharmacies, and even churches. Volunteers report threats from state officials, while the NAACP’s Tulsa chapter has offered support, an unusual display of bipartisan and multiracial coalition-building.
Learning from History: The Rogers County Warning
The 2013 Rogers County petition casts a long shadow. There, citizens collected 7,711 valid signatures—more than required—only to have their effort dismissed on technicalities. Organizers were later sued for libel, but ironically, several named officials were criminally indicted years later.
Other recent examples of grand jury activism include:
- Kingfisher County impaneling a grand jury in July 2025 to investigate an uncharged 2020 shooting
- Garfield County, where Kena Bruno, named in a petition, reportedly burned the petition sheets in a backyard fire pit to avoid scrutiny
Political Pressure Mounts
Even without impaneled juries, the political momentum is real. Rep. Humphrey’s committee formally requested an OSBI investigation after 2024 hearings. Though OSBI declined, citing jurisdictional limits, calls for reform have intensified.
Sen. Shane Jett reportedly faced pressure from DHS officials for supporting investigation. Additional backing from groups like the NAACP, veterans’ advocates, and parental rights networks suggests the OFCR coalition is expanding in reach and power.
A Crossroads for Accountability
The contrast between Wagoner County’s criminalization of petitioners and OFCR’s sprawling accountability campaign reveals a deeper battle brewing over the soul of Oklahoma’s democracy.
Oklahoma’s grand jury petition right was designed for exactly these moments when citizens believe their government has failed them fundamentally. Whether through successful grand juries or the political pressure they generate, these petitions are working as intended even when they fail technically.
As criminal investigations, petition drives, and the 2026 election cycle converge, the coming months may determine whether Oklahoma’s experiment in direct democracy survives its most significant stress test in years.
Full Petition Available
The Oklahoma Post has published the full text of the OFCR grand jury petition, including Exhibit 1 (Rep. Humphrey’s OSBI request) and Exhibit 2 (DA Panter’s Multicounty Grand Jury referral);
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DJ Vance is a staff writer for The Oklahoma Post. Editor: Robbie Robertson
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