Back in April, we relayed the news that Kevin Stitt and the State Treasurer’s Office were involved in a sketchy little scheme to steer a potentially billion-dollar state investment advisory deal to 311 Capital Management – a firm tied to Bond Payne, one of Stitt’s old buddies, cabinet officials and former business associates – without anyone being overly eager to disclose all the awkward conflicts of interest.
Remember that one?
Well, since then, the plot has thickened like gravy at an Oklahoma GOP fundraiser.
A few days after the story broke, Oklahoma Watch reported that Treasurer Todd Russ’s office had recently hired the same lobbying firm as Citizen Capital – a.k.a. the parent company of 311 Capital, which is the company that would be the primary beneficiary of the deal.
Via Oklahoma Watch:
Oklahoma Treasurer Todd Russ hired the same lobbying firm as the parent company of a financial firm he later recommended for a state contract, raising more questions about whether the treasurer’s compressed selection process was fair and transparent…
Russ’ office hired the lobbying firm just weeks before he cast his vote at the Invest in Oklahoma board meeting. The 1907 Group is comprised of Matt Latham, Jason Dunnington and Jamie Benda. Dunnington was among the attendees at the Feb. 17 board meeting.
Yep, good ol’ Jason Dunnington is involved in the scandal. Imagine that!
In case you forgot, he’s the former Democratic state rep who was reprimanded by his own party for leaking secrets to Republicans, and now moonlights as a political analyst on News 9. You know, this guy:
That’s Jason Dunnington with his girlfriend – KOKH’s Wendy “Suave” Suares. For some reason, Wendy hasn't mentioned this story on her social media timeline. It’s also been ignored by News 9. I wonder why?
Anyway, after the shared-lobbyist story broke – and local right-wing media comically rushed in to explain why steering a huge state investment contract to the governor’s politically connected pal was actually just boring, normal stuff – the big question became "What would Stitt’s sworn enemy, Attorney General Gentner Drummond, do?"
Well, yesterday we got our answer.
Via Oklahoma Watch:
Drummond Blocks Contract for Governor’s Former Business Partner
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond refused to approve a contract for an investment advisor in the Invest in Oklahoma program, citing collusion and undisclosed conflicts of interest that tainted the bidding process.
Drummond sent a five-page letter to Treasurer Todd Russ on Wednesday outlining his concerns about the bidding process and the Invest in Oklahoma board vote to award a contract to 311 Capital Management LLC, a firm owned by Gov. Kevin Stitt’s former chief of staff. Stitt and the rest of the five-member board voted Feb. 17 to approve the bid.
“The award is invalid as a matter of law, the procurement that produced it was tainted by collusion and undisclosed conflicts of interest, and a contract executing the award would be void by operation of statute,” the letter to Russ said.
That’s pretty badass.
Say what you want about Gentner Drummond – and we have – but at least the guy appears to have some basic sense of values, integrity, and right and wrong.
Well, at least when it doesn’t involve a shady sheriff or volatile street cop!
In all seriousness, it’s kind of refreshing to see at least one Oklahoma Republican look at a blatant StittWorld crony capitalism scheme and – instead of trying to figure out how to get in on the action – actually do something about it.
I guess my only question is whether Gentner’s doing this because he has integrity, or because he wants to steer the contract to his own venture capital lobbyist buddies if he wins the Governor’s Office. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
In the meantime, it will be interesting to see how Stitt, the State Treasurer’s Office, and the other people trying to steer a billion-dollar investment deal to the YPO network will react.
Will they let the deal die, or will we see Jason Dunnington pop up on News 9 to explain why shared lobbyists, secret conflicts, and billion-dollar buddy deals are actually good government?
Stay with The Lost Ogle. We’ll keep you advised.
