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When attorney Ron Durbin walked into Watonga City Hall requesting public records, he had no idea he was about to witness a government cover-up involving missing mayors, a violent police officer, and a clerk who would rather flee than follow the law. What started as a routine records request quickly escalated into something that exposed the lengths officials will go to hide the truth.
The Missing Mayors and a Violent Officer
Durbin traveled to Watonga, Oklahoma after learning about a series of shocking incidents involving police officer Monty Goodwin. Body camera footage showed Goodwin arresting a man simply for walking on a sidewalk at 5:30 AM without ID, despite Oklahoma having no stop and identify law. In a separate incident, the same officer punched an autistic teenager in the face three times after the boy's parents had called police for help de-escalating a situation.
Following these incidents, both the mayor and vice mayor suddenly resigned during a special meeting. No clear explanation was given for their departures, which happened just as the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation opened use of force inquiries into Goodwin's conduct. Despite the investigations, Goodwin remained on the force.
The Records Request That Changed Everything
Seeking answers about the mysterious resignations, Durbin requested meeting minutes from the past five city council meetings. Under Oklahoma's Open Records Act, cities must designate someone to provide public records during business hours, and willful refusal constitutes a misdemeanor.
The city clerk initially claimed no one was available to handle the request. When Durbin explained the legal requirements, she disappeared into the back offices. What happened next revealed a level of obstruction that even seasoned transparency advocates found shocking.
The Clerk's Impossible Defense
The clerk returned with the requested documents in her hands but refused to give them to Durbin. Her reasoning defied logic: Oklahoma law allowed "reasonable time" to produce records, she claimed, so she didn't have to provide them immediately. She was literally holding the papers while insisting she needed more time to produce them.
When Durbin cited the specific statutes requiring immediate access during business hours, the clerk made a startling threat. She would either call police on him or not, she said, and asked him to choose which option he preferred.
Police Plan the Great Escape
True to her word, the clerk called Watonga Police to report Durbin for requesting public records. The responding officer initially seemed to take Durbin's complaint seriously, returning to his car ostensibly to get paperwork for filing a report against the clerk.
But audio revealed the officer was actually coordinating with city staff to help the clerk escape. "If you leave, go out that door, make sure they're not back there," the officer advised. "Try to get in your car without them seeing you. If you go out the back you'll be good." The same police department under investigation for excessive force was now actively helping officials evade transparency laws.
The Cover-Up Continues
Even more disturbing was the revelation that city officials were monitoring Durbin's live stream throughout the encounter. They knew he was an attorney, knew about his audience, and still chose to violate state law on camera. When the sheriff arrived, he refused to arrest the clerk for the misdemeanor committed in his presence, claiming citizens can't make arrests for misdemeanors despite state law allowing exactly that.
The elaborate scheme to hide simple meeting minutes raises obvious questions: what exactly happened in those city council sessions that officials would risk criminal charges to conceal?
Watch the full investigation to see how this government conspiracy unfolds and whether Durbin ever gets the records the law guarantees every citizen.
