OKLAHOMA CITY (July 30, 2026) – Attorney General Gentner Drummond today urged President Donald J. Trump and U.S. Attorney General Todd Blanche to immediately halt the U.S. Department of Justice’s investigation into the City of Broken Arrow, calling it an example of federal overreach and an unwarranted intrusion into local government.
In a letter sent today, Drummond urged the Trump Administration to withdraw or suspend the DOJ's July 17 investigative demand issued after Broken Arrow denied a rezoning application for a proposed mosque and commercial development. The DOJ’s Civil Rights Division is investigating the city’s zoning practices under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA), despite acknowledging it has made no determination that federal law was violated.
“The investigation is federal overreach of the first order,” Drummond said. “Land-use decisions such as this belong to state and locally elected officials who are accountable to the people they serve, not unelected bureaucrats in Washington. Oklahoma cities should not be subjected to sweeping federal investigations based on a single zoning decision when the DOJ itself acknowledges it has made no determination that federal law was violated.”
Drummond’s letter argues the investigation exceeds the DOJ’s authority by demanding years of municipal records, including communications involving private citizens who participated in the local zoning process. He warned that such demands threaten First Amendment rights by chilling citizens’ willingness to speak, assemble and participate in local government.
Drummond asked that the DOJ:
- Withdraw or suspend its July 17 investigative demand pending review by Senate-confirmed leadership;
- Require senior-level approval for any further investigative steps;
- Withdraw demands targeting the speech and associational activities of private citizens; and
- Coordinate with the Attorney General’s Office before taking further action against any Oklahoma municipality.
Drummond concluded by reaffirming his support for the City of Broken Arrow and pledging that his office will assist the city “by every lawful means” in responding to the federal investigation.
