Earlier this week, word came out that Steven Harpe – a long-serving lieutenant in Stitt’s inner circle of ineptitude – will be stepping down as Executive Director of the Department of Corrections to apparently cause damage in the private sector.
The Oklahoman had the news:
The executive director of the Oklahoma Department of Corrections is resigning.
Steven Harpe is leaving to return to the private sector, the agency announced Wednesday, Aug. 27. His last day will be Sept. 30.
That’s a shame!
Harpe took over at the DOC in 2022 after serving four years as Stitt’s State COO at OMES. Critics panned the selection because he had zero experience in law enforcement or corrections — something he made painfully obvious from the start:
Although Harpe is in many ways the epitome of Stitt’s “run government like a poorly run business” dogma – an unqualified yes-man handed cushy jobs based not on merit but on connections – I find this moment kind of bittersweet.
First of all, he was one of the last members of Stitt’s old guard still sucking from the government teat. Say what you want, but watching these cronies cycle through state government is kind of like watching a toddler grow up: one day they’re making a big mess and breaking everything they touch, then you blink twice and — whoosh — they’re gone.
Second, he was always good for content. From ditching a Swadley’s subpoena so he could go on vacation to falling for copypasta, Harpe made sure to screw up just enough to catch our eye.
Anyway, we wish him the best of luck in the private sector — and for his new company’s sake, hopefully he doesn’t fall for any phishing scams.
Stay with The Lost Ogle. We’ll keep you advised.
