Oklahoma Prosecutors Used Asset Forfeiture for Personal Expenses

Of all the egregious rights violations that have been brought about by the drug war, few are as outrageous and demeaning as asset forfeiture laws. They’ve been used time and time again to impoverish innocent people, or people who are guilty of nothing more than ingesting a plant. But the worst aspect of these laws, is the conflict of interest they present to public servants. It gives them the ability to directly profit off the misery of others.

The latest example of this government sanctioned pilfering comes from Oklahoma, where a recent audit found that at least two public officials used asset forfeiture to pay for their personal expenses. One assistant district attorney used $5000 of these funds to pay down a student loan. Another district attorney was living in a seized house rent free for 5 years, despite a court order to auction off the property. The audit has revealed dozens of cases where forfeited cash, guns and vehicles, were not accounted for.

These cases were cited in a recent hearing, where law enforcement officials were objecting to a piece of legislation that would better regulate asset forfeitures. The bill is being pushed by State Senator Kyle Loveless, who commented on these laws in an interview. “The more I learn about it, the more upset and outraged I get that we’ve allowed this process to get to where it’s at…Your property is considered guilty until proven innocent. It is up to the individual to petition the government after they’ve seized it to prove that it is innocent. To me, that, on its face, is un-American.”