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L. A. Times August 19, 1983 A Muskogee, Okla., federal court jury convicted Oklahoma House Speaker Dan Draper and the Oklahoma House majority leader of vote fraud charges in an unsuccessful scheme to get Draper’s father elected to an Adair County post. Draper was convicted on all 11 counts facing him, while Majority Leader Joe Fitzgibbon was found guilty on nine of 10 counts against him. The jury reached its decision in the ninth day of a trial that included 75 witnesses. In their final arguments, opposing attorneys told jurors the question to be decided was whether Draper and Fitzgibbon, both Democrats, manipulated absentee ballots to help Draper’s father-Dan Draper II- in an unsuccessful election bid. Gov. George Nigh, who testified as a character witness for Draper, said the verdict surprised him. |
