Five days before Wagoner County voters decide a Republican runoff for the District 3 commissioner seat, the leading candidate is now the subject of two separate police investigations into whether he actually lives where he says he does. Patrick Sampson has declined to discuss the investigations publicly, even as District Attorney Jack Thorp confirms new evidence has reopened questions about his residency just as the August 25 election approaches.
Sampson and Dennis McCollough advanced to the runoff after a five-candidate primary in June, according to Ballotpedia. The renewed scrutiny traces back to April, when opponent David Greeno filed a candidacy challenge against Sampson with the Wagoner County Election Board. As reported by News On 6, the election board determined at that time that Sampson met the residency requirements, based on voter registration records he presented showing a home in Coweta.
A Mortgage Document Reopens the Case
Thorp said his office had already completed a charging review of the original residency allegations and declined to file criminal charges, according to a letter Sampson posted online. But the district attorney said new evidence has since raised additional questions about where Sampson actually lives, and no decision on charges has been made because investigators only recently received that material.
Central to the renewed inquiry is a mortgage document dated August 7 that listed Sampson's home address as 1701 Red Oak Road in Wagoner — a property that sits in County Commissioner District 2, not the District 3 seat he is running to represent. The station's report notes Sampson has listed at least two addresses that differ from the one he gave during his April election board hearing, and different addresses on various other official documents, including a Coweta address he provided on a school questionnaire for one of his children, dated August 12 per Thorp.
Two Police Departments, Two Different Questions
Thorp has formally asked the Wagoner Police Department to investigate whether Sampson committed perjury during his sworn testimony before the election board in April, when he testified under oath and listed a Coweta address — the same address he used when he filed to run for commissioner. Separately, Thorp asked Coweta Police to investigate the school questionnaire listing, a distinct inquiry running on its own track. Per the same account, neither investigation currently has a completion timeline.
Oklahoma law sets a clear bar for candidates seeking these seats. Under Oklahoma Statutes Title 19, Section 131.1, a county commissioner candidate must be a registered voter and maintain a current principal residence within that specific district for at least six months before the filing period. Making false sworn statements or fraudulent declarations about residency and voter registration can carry felony penalties under state election and penal law, though Thorp has emphasized that any criminal case would require proving every statutory element beyond a reasonable doubt.
Recusal Request and Denials of Political Motive
Sampson has asked Thorp to recuse himself from the matter and has requested an independent review instead. He has cited the district attorney's office's routine working relationship with county government and commissioners, saying he believes it could create a perception of a conflict of interest as the election nears. Thorp has said he has no plans to recuse himself as of publication but will address any legal or ethical reason for doing so.
Thorp has denied that the investigation is politically motivated and has said his office's job is not to determine who should be the next Wagoner County commissioner, adding that his office should not be used for or against any specific candidate. There is local precedent for recusal in county election disputes: during a July 2024 candidacy contest involving a different office, Thorp recused his office from advising the election board over potential conflicts, leading to the appointment of a Tulsa County assistant district attorney. The district attorney's office says it will determine whether charges should be filed once both police investigations are complete.
A Career Built in Local Government
Sampson is a U.S. Air Force veteran who previously served on the Wagoner City Council representing Ward 1 before resigning, and he ran unsuccessfully as a Republican candidate for Oklahoma State Senate District 3 in 2024, according to Ballotpedia. Thorp has led the 27th Judicial District — covering Adair, Cherokee, Sequoyah, and Wagoner counties — since 2017 and was named Prosecutor of the Year by the Oklahoma Bar Association in August 2025.
The stakes for the winner are significant. Wagoner County's three-member Board of Commissioners exercises collective executive authority over infrastructure, public safety funding, and the county's annual budget, according to GoodParty.org. With no timeline for either police investigation and the runoff just days away, Wagoner County voters may head to the polls Tuesday without knowing whether the residency questions surrounding Sampson will ever result in criminal charges.
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