Drummond blasts Gov. Stitt's "incomprehensible and indefensible" veto of anti-public corruption bill

OKLAHOMA CITY (May 29, 2025) – Attorney General Gentner Drummond called Gov. Stitt’s late-night veto of an anti- corruption bill “incomprehensible and indefensible,” if not surprising given the high-profile scandals that have dogged the Stitt Administration. Drummond said he hopes state legislators will move quickly to override the veto of House Bill 2164, a measure that won unanimous approval in both the House and Senate.

“HB 2164 is smart, sensible legislation that would go a long way toward eliminating instances of collusion, bid-rigging and conflicts of interest involving government officials,” said the Attorney General. “Oklahomans are rightfully sick and tired of public corruption. It is incomprehensible and indefensible that the Governor would veto this important legislation, but his action tells you everything you need to know about where he stands.”

Authored by Rep. John Pfeiffer and Sen. John Haste, the bill strengthens state bidding and purchasing laws to ensure public officials cannot use their positions of power for personal gain. It clarifies what a conflict of interest is and what requires disclosure, and the measure ensures that officials receive ethics training.

“This legislation would create a more accountable, ethical and transparent government to effectively serve the public interest," Drummond said. “HB 2164 could prevent future scenarios such as that of Swadley’s and the Oklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation, when the sole bidder for a state contract landed a sweetheart deal that allegedly spurred flagrant overcharging of the state. HB 2164 would conceivably prevent a situation like what we saw several years ago at the Oklahoma Employment Securities Commission, when the employer of the agency director’s spouse won a lucrative software contract with OESC.

“Time and again, Gov. Stitt has turned a blind eye to self-dealing, unethical behavior, misuse of taxpayer dollars and just basic incompetence. That he would veto an uncontroversial measure unanimously passed by the Legislature makes it all too clear that good government is not a priority for him.”

HB 2164 would:

• Require disclosure of business or familial relationships in bid submissions to prevent collusion, bid-rigging and conflicts of interest;
• Mandate ethics training for new state officers to ensure officials know how to identify and mitigate potential conflicts of interest, as well as follow purchasing requirements;
• Establish penalties for violations of the Central Purchasing Act; and
• Specify grounds for removal from office for unethical behavior, thereby enhancing accountability and ensuring that public servants are held to high standards of conduct.