For regular TLO readers, today’s headline shouldn’t be a big surprise.
Ever since Ol' Stitter took office in 2017, we’ve had a good time poking fun at the jet-setting lifestyle the mega-millionaire and his family enjoy on the taxpayer's dime.
Usually, these stories highlight the governor’s famed hypocrisy, like when he left for Vegas hours after begging state employees to take PTO and sub in schools, or the time he violated his own ban on state-funded travel to California to accept a pro-life award in California. My personal favorite is the beautiful moment he fled to the Santa Fe ski slopes after issuing an all-hands-on-deck emergency order for Oklahoma.
That story—and the photo our observant Ogle Mole covertly snapped at the ski resort—belongs in the TLO Hall of Fame:
Thanks to a report in Oklahoma Voice by our good friend Barbara Holberock—a TLO super fan who occasionally sends us flattering messages complimenting our fine work—there’s more Stitt travel hypocrisy to tell you about.
According to Barb, Stitt—a small-government conservative who’s against wasteful government spending—has authorized over 100 flights over the last five years, costing taxpayers nearly $301,000. Some destinations include fun and hip locales like Branson, Nashville, Durango, Santa Fe, Pensacola, and even his daughter’s home in Waco!
Cool stuff, huh?
“Whatever, Patrick! Every politician at every level uses and abuses government resources for personal use. This isn’t news.”
I don’t necessarily disagree. If I were governor, I’d probably do a Stitt and use the state plane as much as possible, too!
While at it, I’d also ask the highway patrol to escort my son and his drunken friends around the state and let my wife drive around in a state vehicle for personal use.
What could go wrong with that?!
Okay, maybe I’d hold off on tossing my wife the keys to the OHP Expedition, but what’s the fun in running a state if you can’t use state resources for your whims and fancies?
If we take that perk away, nobody will want to be governor!
If you ask me, the real issue isn’t Stitt’s use of the state plane, but the hypocrisy surrounding it.
Stitt claims to be the most transparent governor in Oklahoma history, yet he and his administration—specifically the Department of Public Safety—have gone out of their way to keep the details and travel logs of these jet trips a mystery.
Gov. Kevin Stitt and his wife have used a state plane to crisscross the country, but records conceal the purpose and passengers of many flights, raising questions about why they’re not following state transparency laws.
While officials blame each other for omissions on the Oklahoma Department of Transportation’s 1992 Beechcraft King Air flight logs, legal experts say state law requires users to cite the reason for all flights and clearly state who is aboard.
Yep, despite claiming to be “Mr. Transparent” (not in a “Save Women’s Sports” kind of way), Stitt is being all tricksy about who was on these flights and why.
Obviously, these trips were all part of top-secret missions to help lure big corporations to Oklahoma, and weren’t for his family’s personal use... right?
Here’s more:
Stitt spokesperson Abegail Cave referred questions about the missing flight log information back to ODOT, saying they “handle the logistics and pricing” and are responsible for filling out the paperwork for each flight.
She did not respond to questions about who made the redactions on more than four dozen flight logs, nor did she cite what provision of law allows it, despite repeated requests. Oklahoma Voice also requested unredacted records in April from Stitt’s staff, but the Governor’s Office gave no response.
Cave said the names of the Stitts’ children and security detail were the only redactions.
She would not say if the governor was using the plane for personal reasons or whether Stitt had reimbursed the state for any flights.
Honestly, I can see how these records could get lost in the churn of government bureaucracy.
If only our state had a plane set aside specifically for the governor’s use, maybe it would be easier to track this stuff and access the flight logs.
Oh, wait…
Well, I guess we finally uncovered the real reason Stitt sold the governor’s plane back in 2019! He wanted his private flights to be harder to track!
Then again, when he sold the plane the whole deal was he going to start flying commercial... not hop on a different state plane.
In all fairness, Stitt probably had a change of heart about flying commercial after Moles started sending us pics like this:
Anyway, the real question here is whether any of Stitt’s travel is illegal and if it’s okay for the governor to fly his family around on state aircraft.
Barbara reached out to AG Gentner Drummond’s office and may have inadvertently revealed that the guy is definitely running for governor in a few years:
A 1997 Attorney General’s opinion and 1998 Oklahoma Supreme Court ruling do not require limitations on how the plane can be used by the governor, said Phil Bacharach, a spokesperson for Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond.
“Both the AG opinion and the Court determined that the legislature intended a broad interpretation of this section,” Bacharach said.
Yep, that’s right! Attorney General Gentner “Done” Drummond—a former fighter pilot who never misses an opportunity to drop a smart bomb in his feud with Governor Stitt—thinks the legislature intended “a broad interpretation” when it comes to a governor using state resources for travel.
If that doesn’t tell you he’s keeping the private jet door open for a 2026 gubernatorial run, I don’t know what will!
Hell be the first Governor to not only fly a state plane, but pilot aerial tricks, too. At least he’ll likely keep better records than Stitt:
But another state law, House Bill 3226, passed in 1998, requires passengers to document whether a trip meets a series of requirements, including if the trip is for a political purpose. If the answer is “yes” to any of the questions, the trip is not allowed, according to the form.
The same law requires the purpose of all flights and a list of all passengers.
Bacharach said no exemptions to the requirement are found in the statute or DPS rules.
Anyway, if you want to read more about Stitt’s travel adventures that the state paid for, check out Oklahoma Voice.
If you spot Stitt on any vacations, send us a pic via the TLO Tip Line.
Stay with The Lost Ogle. We’ll keep you advised.
