Gov. Kevin Stitt blocked a bill that would have required cabinet members to disclose their finances. The bill would have shown Secretary of Education Ryan Walters makes at least $120,000 a year as executive director of a nonprofit organization that keeps its donors secret.
Former Tourism Department Director Gino DeMarco planned his own business venture while talks to develop a new state park marina were underway.
At one point Pinnell approved a $1.5-million payment to Foggy Bottom via email without seeing the invoice, an email obtained by The Frontier shows.
Coordination with bidders for government contracts is forbidden, but emails show negotiations to secure favorable terms for a restaurant operator at state parks.
An investigation by Oklahoma Watch and The Frontier found money for students spent on TVs and gaming consoles among other purchases.
“The fight ain’t finished,” Jones says.
The Frontier also won first place in the Specialty Feature category for an investigation into maternal mortality rates of Black women in Oklahoma and first place in General News Continuing Coverage for its reporting on the death penalty.
An attorney for the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press says the state has given no valid reason to keep the report secret or delay its release.
