Just as he pledged he would do when he ran for Governor almost 10 years ago, Kevin Stitt is still running Oklahoma like a business by… rewarding unqualified friends, allies and confidants with well-paying government jobs, titles and responsibilities.
As we mentioned last week, we’re apparently at the point in the Stitt regime when all of his political yes men, coattail riders and other members of Young Presidents begin leaving their well-paying government saboteur jobs for new and improved opportunities in the private sector.
Although this mass exodus and administrative turnover can contribute to government dysfunction, on a positive note, it does also leave open the door for some Stitt loyalists to return to the office and conduct one last bit of damage.
For example, late last week, Stitt announced the appointment of three well-known confidants to key positions as his final term winds down. They include TLO super fan Donelle Harder, once-indicted Oklahoma Taco Bell magnate David Ostrowe, and some ginger dude from Lawton.
Here are details via Oklahoma Voice:
Gov. Kevin Stitt on Thursday appointed three officials to his administration, all of whom he has previously named to other positions in Oklahoma state government.
Stitt appointed Donelle Harder as Oklahoma Secretary of State, David Ostrowe as chief operating officer and Dustin Hilliary as his senior advisor.
Yep, that’s right. Hold the red sauce and go easy on the onions. David Ostrowe is back working in state government!
I have to admit, that’s pretty surprising.
If you had lowered your facemask in 2021 – back when Ostrowe was resigning from government life following an indictment scandal tied to a business feud with the former AG’s then-mistress – and told me he would work for the Stitt regime again only a few years later, I wouldn't have believed it.
But as Ostrowe would say, “Only in Oklahoma!”
In addition to Ostrowe, it’s also nice to see Donelle Harder back working on the taxpayer's dime.
She must get tired of telling Stitt “I wish I knew how to quit you!” because she just can’t say “goodbye” to her political sugar daddy.
Via Oklahoma Voice:
Harder previously served as Stitt’s senior advisor and deputy Secretary of State and worked as his spokesperson and campaign manager. She also previously worked as former U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe’s spokesperson.
In the private sector, she sold her regional public relations and marketing firm to Pinkston in 2022, and she became one of the company’s senior vice presidents.
“I’m honored to serve as Secretary of State and support Governor Stitt’s administration again,” Harder said in a statement.
That’s cool. It’s really nice to see Stitt honoring the intent of his executive order that banned state contracts from being given to outside PR firms, and just hiring the people who work for those PR firms to come work directly for him instead. That’s the spirit!
Also, good for Donelle.
Back when she was Kevin Stitt’s campaign manager, she was very instrumental in convincing him to participate in a TLO gubernatorial Q&A.
I remember working with Donelle way back in the day to get the details of Q&A organized and thinking, “I bet she’s going to make a fine ‘Secretary of State’ someday.” Let’s hope my instincts are correct.
The other Stitt appointee to score a new résumé gig is some guy from the Lawton ruling class named Dustin Hilliary. He will serve as “Senior Advisor to the Governor,” and act as “chief negotiator with state legislators and elected officials.”
As you can tell, Dustin looks like a classic Lawton power broker — or maybe just a hungrier version of powerful OKC hospitality savant Kindt Myers:
I guess Dustin’s family – despite their politically toxic last name – made a fortune providing mobile and high-speed telecom services to southwestern Oklahomans.
They’re also involved in the right-leaning media, using their wealth and communications acumen to “deliver conservative news” to the Oklahoma people through their publishing group, “Hilliary Media Network”:
Remember back in the good ole days when politicians, for the sake of optics, worked with their media allies, benefactors and wealthy elites via more clandestine and behind-the-scenes methods? You know, like how Trump does with the Murdochs, or how Democrats do with the Liberal Media™?
Now the politicians are just straight up placing media benefactors onto their executive staff!
Sure, I guess that’s a more efficient and cost-effective way to promote and distribute biased media and spin during the year of your administration, but where’s the fun in that? Not only is it unethical, but it makes it really hard for people like me to connect the dots and reveal what’s really happening behind the scenes. Maybe it's time for me to get a government job, too?
Anyway, I guess we wish these new re-hires the best of luck in padding their résumés, increasing their net worth and conducting a few final acts of internal governmental sabotage before riding off into the sunset with Stitt, looking for their next coattail-riding adventure. Stay with The Lost Ogle. We’ll keep you advised.
