NORMAN, OK— In one of his first public statements since assuming the role of Cleveland County’s acting sheriff, Michael Finley has requested an FBI investigation of the County and called for a special election to determine the next Sheriff, bypassing the expected appointment from the Board of County Commissioners.
Finley became Acting Sheriff of Cleveland County following the sudden resignation in April of then Sheriff Chris Amason, who was forced to resign after pleading no contest to one count of embezzlement.
At that time, Finley was the undersheriff to Amason, and on April 27, stepped into the position of Acting Sheriff, as reported at the time by Free Press:
At their meeting Monday afternoon, the Cleveland County Board of County Commissioners heard from Acting Sheriff Finley. Following the meeting, this statement from Finley was posted on the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office Facebook page.
“Based on information obtained through an Open Records/FOIA request,” he said, “I have become aware of information and concerns that I believe warrant further review by the appropriate authorities.”
Finley went on to name those authorities as “the FBI… Public Corruption Division,” noting the importance of “an independent review and determination of whether any violations of law have occurred.”
The statement did not specify any particular person or institution within the County that merits investigation or suspicion, and no mention was made as to why Finley is requesting the FBI and not the state-level Oklahoma Bureau of Investigation.
County officials quiet about investigation suggestion
When asked for more information regarding the sensitive information discovered by Finley,
Cleveland County PIO Jeremy Walker told Free Press, “Acting Sheriff Mike Finley’s position is reflected in the statement he made [in the Facebook post].”
According to Walker, at this time Finley “is not providing additional information beyond what was shared publicly.”
A message left by Free Press with the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office was not returned, and it is unclear as of now what Finley’s suspicions are within the County government.
Call for special election
In the same comment from June 8th, Finley made another suggestion to the County Commissioners.
“In addition, to preserve public trust in the process while these concerns are reviewed,” he said, “I respectfully request that the Board of County Commissioners suspend or forgo the current sheriff appointment process and instead call for a special election.”
The County responded to this last request in a press release from the same day which reads “The Commissioners… cannot call for special election under state statute,” citing Title 51, Chapter 1, Section 10 of Oklahoma State Statute. That statute states that the only vacant county offices to be elected are those of County Commissioners.
The press release continues by rejecting Finley’s call for special election, reading: “On Monday, June 8, 2026, during executive session, the Board of County Commissioners chose to proceed with the appointment process.”
The County responded promptly to Finley’s second request for a special election, but they have yet to offer a response to his request for an FBI investigation.
‘Build back public trust’
One elected official publicly voicing support for Finley’s requests is Norman’s Ward 4 City Councilor Helen Grant.
The City of Norman works closely with the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office,and the sheriff and deputies frequently provide policing throughout the city, with Finley himself personally intervening in a disturbance in Grant’s ward just this week.
When reached Friday about her thoughts on the FBI being allowed to dig into Cleveland County records or finances, Grant said that she fully supports the idea.
“Much has happened to erode public trust in County government and law enforcement,” she told Free Press, referencing the charges against Amason and the potential lingering effects of lost and embezzled funds.
“I also support calling a special election to allow Cleveland County voters to decide who the next sheriff should be,” Grant said. “I think this would help to build back public trust, which is low.”
Tyler Smothers is a local, an Okie, and a poet living in Oklahoma City with his wife, Sadye, and their animals, Toby and Oscar.
He teaches medieval history and literature to 7th graders and loves everything from "Canterbury Tales" to "Mrs. Dalloway."
