A routine public records request in Hubert, Oklahoma spiraled into chaos when city employees demanded the journalist's name first, handed him the wrong form, then refused basic service. The city manager's response? "Look it up on the internet."
City manager Jerry Eubanks pleaded guilty to felony embezzlement, then received a $25,000 taxpayer bonus. When a journalist tried to question this at city meetings, Mayor Susan Bayro had him arrested twice. The million-dollar lawsuit and election results that followed.
Bar Association blocks public access after previous confrontations with journalist investigating attorney license suspension. Staff refuse basic information requests, claiming no records clerk available during business hours.
City official blocks basic questions about water department and council meetings, claiming he can't recommend local restaurants to avoid "favoritism." Same building where officials previously called police on journalist now houses burned evidence.
Suspended Oklahoma attorney Ron Durban emerges from months of depression to resume his public accountability mission despite facing five criminal cases and a potential $210,000 bar association fee. His return reveals friendly government workers in three cities and a brewing legal battle.
Journalists investigating reports of women being beaten at Ottawa County jail find officials calling armed deputies on cameras, hanging up phones, and shuttering entire facilities to avoid accountability questions about administrator with assault history.
Attorney Ron Durban packed a community center with citizens fed up with systemic abuse in Ottawa County's jail system, corrupt officials, and a $33 million judgment hanging over taxpayers. His plan: mobilize thousands to demand accountability through a citizen-led grand jury petition.
An independent journalist filed a $33 million federal lawsuit against Pawhuska Mayor Susan Bayro and city officials for allegedly violating civil rights during public meetings. When he attempted to serve the papers at a candidate forum, chaos erupted.
Jerry Eubanks has convictions for armed robbery, meth distribution, and embezzlement from two cities. Now he's managing Pawhuska, Oklahoma, and firing police chiefs. When journalists arrived asking questions, he shut down City Hall entirely.
When attorney Ron Durbin requested meeting minutes in Watonga, Oklahoma, the city clerk had them in her hands but refused to hand them over. Instead, she called police on Durbin and planned an elaborate escape with an officer's help.
Reporter enters City Hall to document transparency, encounters unnamed security demanding he stop filming. Multiple officers arrive as confusion grows over mayor's executive order restricting public access to hallways.
City manager Jerry Eubanks failed to appear for his scheduled court hearing on theft charges, just days after pleading guilty to embezzling from another city. His attorney claimed the prosecutor was "ill" as evidence mounts of stolen equipment on Eubanks' property.
Federal courthouse filing of 2,000+ page lawsuit against Oklahoma Bar Association, Supreme Court justices, and state agencies. Live serving process with 93 summonses after officials tried hiding from accountability. Watch the dramatic confrontations unfold.
Lawyer exposes drunk judges and government corruption, gets suspended for protected speech. When he files federal lawsuit, bar association suddenly ends his trial and seals records from public view. All caught on livestream.
City manager Jerry Eubanks used $25,000 from Pawhuska taxpayers to pay his criminal restitution after pleading to embezzlement charges. The convicted felon got probation while his wife walked free. Watch him flee reporters outside the courthouse.
Jerry Eubanks, Pawhuska's city manager, has felony convictions that bar him from elected office but somehow convinced council members to hire him anyway. Now he faces embezzlement charges from two previous cities where he allegedly stole equipment.