Governor Stitt bans wasteful PR spending after FOX 25 exposes tax dollar misuse
OKLAHOMA CITY (KOKH) — Governor Kevin Stitt issued an executive order banning wasteful public relations spending after FOX 25 uncovered that a DC-based firm is pocketing your tax dollars to promote State Superintendent Ryan Walters.
"We all have to remember, the money we spend doesn't belong to us - it belongs to Oklahoma taxpayers," said Governor Stitt. "Oklahomans expect my administration to steward each tax dollar well, and that's exactly what we're going to do. It makes no sense for state agencies who pay the salaries of communications staff to outsource work to PR firms via sole source contracts. It's wasteful and we're putting a stop to it statewide."
Executive Order 2024-12 prohibits state agencies from entering into sole source contracts withpublic relations, marketing, or communications firms and vendors.
It also requires all contracts with PR vendors to be obtained through at least a 30-day request for proposal.
The Executive Order also states, "No state agency, director of a state agency, or any state employee shall use any tax dollars, spent in- or outside the state, for the purpose of self-promotion or for the promotion of any matter outside the scope of the state agency."
FOX 25 found more than $100,000 of Oklahomans' tax dollars meant for education spending have gone to out-of-state PR firms, which have been used to promote Walters's own personal public relations campaign.
Read the full Executive Order below.
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