DA says Bartlesville City Council candidate gave false answer on filing
Andy Dossett | The Wiley Post
Oct 2, 2026
The Washington County District Attorney's Office investigated a complaint alleging Bartlesville City Council candidate Ward 4 Amanda Veley made a false statement on her Declaration of Candidacy and plans to refer the case to the Cherokee Nation because Oklahoma lacks jurisdiction to prosecute her.
District Attorney William Drake confirmed the investigation to The Wiley Post and wrote that Veley's answer to a criminal-history question on her candidacy filing was false.
The form asks candidates whether they have been convicted, pleaded guilty or no contest, or otherwise been found guilty of a felony or a misdemeanor involving embezzlement. Veley answered "No."
"As you are aware this is false," Drake wrote in response to questions from The Wiley Post.
Amanda Veley is a candidate for the Ward 4 seat on the Bartlesville City Council in the Nov. 3 election.
Provided by Amanda Veley
Drake wrote that he ordinarily does not discuss investigations conducted by his office but made an exception because of the nature of this case.
"Typically I do not comment on any investigations from this office, but because this investigation involves election integrity, it is a public concern therefore I believe it is appropriate to answer some of your questions," Drake wrote.
No criminal charge has been filed against Veley, and no court has found that she committed perjury.
Drake wrote his office began investigating after multiple citizens contacted prosecutors following a Wiley Post investigation into Veley's criminal and financial history. He directed an investigator to obtain her election records.
State says it lacks jurisdiction
During the investigation, Drake wrote that his office determined Veley is a Cherokee Nation citizen and meets the legal definition of an Indian for purposes of criminal jurisdiction.
"The State of Oklahoma does not have jurisdiction to prosecute Ms. Veley, so the investigation will be referred to the Cherokee Nation," Drake wrote.
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Drake would not say whether his office would have pursued charges if Oklahoma had jurisdiction.
"I cannot state what this office would or would not have done if we had jurisdiction and/or if the investigation was completed," he wrote.
The Wiley Post contacted the Cherokee Nation Office of the Attorney General on Thursday. An employee who checked the office's system said no case under Veley's name appeared at that time and suggested checking again in several days.
It remains unclear whether Cherokee Nation prosecutors have received the referral or what action, if any, they will take.
Veley says she has not been notified
The Wiley Post asked Veley to comment on Drake's confirmation of the investigation and planned referral to Cherokee Nation prosecutors.
Veley did not respond directly. Instead, she posted the publication's question on Facebook and wrote that neither the district attorney nor the Cherokee Nation had notified her.
"I have not received independent confirmation of those claims from either office, nor have I been notified of any finding that perjury occurred," Veley wrote.
It was not the first time Veley responded publicly rather than answer questions from The Wiley Post.
Before publishing its earlier investigation into her criminal and financial history, The Wiley Post sent Veley detailed questions and gave her an opportunity to respond. She did not provide answers to those questions.
The following day, Veley addressed the inquiry on Facebook in a post that began, "The hit pieces have started rolling."
Veley wrote that the publication had asked about events spanning years of her personal, financial and legal history and wrote she would not provide any information.
"I do not owe the Wiley Post a detailed explanation of every painful circumstance I have ever lived through simply because I chose to ask questions about my city, and I am running for city council," she wrote.
In her response to the latest inquiry, Veley again criticized The Wiley Post's coverage, contrasting it with the publication's reporting on former Bartlesville City Manager Mike Bailey.
"My question to Andy is this: Does the same concern about crossing the line between gossip and news apply to your coverage of me, a Cherokee woman running for office, as it does to your coverage of Mike Bailey?" she wrote.
Neither Facebook post addressed why Veley answered "No" to the criminal-history question on her Declaration of Candidacy.
The Wiley Post has also asked Veley whether a pardon, expungement or other legal action affected her answer to that question.
DA: Expungement doesn't justify false answer
Drake wrote he found nothing in Oklahoma law that, in his view, would allow an expungement to justify a false answer on a notarized Declaration of Candidacy.
Oklahoma's general perjury law, 21 O.S. § 491, applies to certain statements made under oath or another legally binding assertion when the person making the statement knows it is false, does not believe it is true or intends to obstruct the truth. No court has decided whether that statute applies to Veley's filing.
Drake also cited 16 O.S. § 85, which makes knowingly false statements in a notarized document perjury.
“I have found no exception under the law that an expungement allows someone to make a false statement on a notarized document, specifically on a declaration of candidacy to file for an elected position,” Drake wrote.
The criminal investigation is separate from any challenge to Veley's candidacy.
Drake wrote the deadline to contest her candidacy has passed. He wrote the City Council filing period ended Aug. 5, making Aug. 7 the deadline for a challenge.
"I cannot answer the question as to whether someone would have contested her filing and whether the contest would have been successful," Drake wrote.
Drake wrote he was hesitant to comment further because the matter involves an upcoming election.
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