IN A MOVE THAT WOULD MAKE A TINPOT DICTATOR BLUSH, OKLA GOV STITT CAUGHT USING PUBLIC FUNDS
In a move that could make even the most corrupt tinpot dictator blush, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt has been caught using public funds to pay for his own legal fees. And not just any public funds, mind you, but funds that were meant to ensure that the state is receiving its cut from tribal gaming operations. Talk about a bad hand, am I right?
Now, you might be wondering how Governor Stitt got himself into this sticky situation. Well, it all started when he signed four new gaming compacts with five tribal nations in 2020. These compacts were supposed to generate more revenue for the state from tribal gaming operations, but several tribes challenged them in court, arguing that they violated the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA).
And that's where things started to go off the rails. Instead of doing the responsible thing and hiring his own legal team to defend the state's interests, Governor Stitt decided to use money from the gaming compliance fund to pay for his legal fees. For those of you who don't speak bureaucrat, the gaming compliance fund is a separate pot of money from the exclusivity fees that tribes pay the state for the rights to run gaming operations in Oklahoma. It's supposed to be used to ensure that the state is receiving its cut from tribal gaming operations and to audit tribal gaming operations.
But apparently, Governor Stitt thought it would be a good idea to use this money to pay for his own legal battles. As you can imagine, this did not go over well with everyone. Some critics have argued that it's illegal for the state to use this money for legal fees, as it's intended to be used for other purposes. Others have argued that it's just plain unethical for Governor Stitt to use this money to fight lawsuits that he brought on his own behalf.
But fear not, dear readers, because Governor Stitt has defended his use of the gaming compliance fund money. He argues that it's necessary to protect the state's interests in the tribal gaming lawsuits and that the money is being used for a legitimate purpose. Of course, he conveniently forgets to mention that he could have hired his own legal team instead of dipping his hands into the public cookie jar.
Now, you might be thinking that this is just a small-time scandal that will blow over in a few weeks. But let me tell you, this is a big deal. Governor Stitt has spent over $1.9 million in gaming compliance fund money on legal fees. That's almost enough money to buy a new Lamborghini! The Oklahoma Attorney General's Office is currently investigating whether Governor Stitt's use of the gaming compliance fund money was legal. The investigation is ongoing, and it's unclear what the outcome will be.
But one thing is for sure: this controversy has raised some serious questions about the legality and ethics of Governor Stitt's use of public funds. It's one thing to use public funds for legitimate purposes, but it's quite another to use them to pay for your own legal battles. And let's not forget that these funds were meant to ensure that the state is receiving its cut from tribal gaming operations. By diverting them for his own purposes, Governor Stitt has effectively robbed the state of much-needed revenue.
So where do we go from here? Well, for starters, we need to hold Governor Stitt accountable for his actions. Using public funds for personal gain is unacceptable, and we can't let him get away with it. We also need to take a hard look at how these funds are being used and make sure that they're being used for their intended purposes. And finally, we need to remember that public officials are supposed to serve the people, not themselves. Let's hope that Governor Stitt learns this lesson sooner rather than later.
Gov. Kevin Stitt paid more than $1.9 million in legal fees for gaming lawsuits with state money https://www.readfrontier.org/stories/gov-kevin-stitt-paid-more-than-1-9-million-in-legal-fees-for-gaming-lawsuits-with-state-money/
Report shows Oklahoma Governor used tribal gaming fund to pay nearly $2 million in legal fees https://kfor.com/news/local/report-ok-gov-used-tribal-gaming-fund-to-pay-nearly-2m-in-legal-fees/
THE DEFT DIVE
FROM BARD AI
In 2020, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt signed four new gaming compacts with five tribal nations. These compacts were designed to generate more revenue for the state from tribal gaming operations. However, the compacts were challenged in court by several tribes, who argued that they violated the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA).
Stitt has been using money from the state's gaming compliance fund to pay for his legal fees in the tribal gaming lawsuits. The gaming compliance fund is a separate pot of money from the exclusivity fees that tribes pay the state for the rights to run gaming operations in Oklahoma. The fund is used to ensure that the state is receiving its cut from tribal gaming operations and to audit tribal gaming operations.
The use of gaming compliance fund money to pay for Stitt's legal fees has been controversial. Some critics have argued that it is illegal for the state to use this money for legal fees, as it is intended to be used for other purposes. Others have argued that it is unethical for Stitt to use this money to fight lawsuits that he brought on his own behalf.
Stitt has defended his use of the gaming compliance fund money, arguing that it is necessary to protect the state's interests in the tribal gaming lawsuits. He has also argued that the money is being used for a legitimate purpose, as it is being used to pay for legal fees.
The Oklahoma Attorney General's Office is currently investigating whether Stitt's use of the gaming compliance fund money was legal. The investigation is ongoing, and it is unclear what the outcome will be.
Here are some additional details about the controversy:
* The tribal gaming lawsuits are still ongoing, and it is unclear when they will be resolved.
* Stitt has spent over $1.9 million in gaming compliance fund money on legal fees.
* The Attorney General's Office is expected to release its findings on the investigation soon.
* The controversy has raised questions about the legality and ethics of Stitt's use of the gaming compliance fund money.
It will be interesting to see how the controversy unfolds and what the outcome will be.
FROM BING AI
Gov. Kevin Stitt using tribal gaming fund to pay legal fees:
- - The tribal gaming fund is a separate account from the exclusivity fees that the tribes pay to the state for the right to operate casinos in Oklahoma. The fund is intended to cover the costs of ensuring that the tribes comply with the gaming compacts and regulations¹².
- - Gov. Kevin Stitt has been involved in several lawsuits with the tribes over the gaming compacts, which he claims expired on Dec. 31, 2019 and need to be renegotiated with higher fees for the state. The tribes argue that the compacts automatically renewed for another 15 years and that Stitt has no authority to change the terms¹².
- - According to state payment records, Stitt has paid more than $1.9 million to outside law firms representing him in these lawsuits since 2020. The payments came from the tribal gaming fund, which received more than $1 million a year from the tribes¹².
- - The use of the tribal gaming fund to pay for legal fees has been criticized by some lawmakers, tribal leaders, and the attorney general as a misuse of public funds and a breach of trust with the tribes¹²³. They say that Stitt should have sought legislative approval before using the money for lawsuits and that he should have consulted with the tribes and the attorney general before initiating legal actions¹²³.
- - Stitt's spokeswoman, Abegail Cave, defended the payments as a proper use of the fund and said that the language in the gaming compacts allows for it. She said that Stitt is acting in the best interest of the state and that he is seeking a fair deal with the tribes that reflects the current market conditions¹².
- - The lawsuits are still ongoing and have not reached a final resolution. The attorney general, Gentner Drummond, said he is looking into whether the funds were properly used and what actions he can take to protect the state's interests¹².
Bing, 8/5/2023
(1) Report: OK Gov. used tribal gaming fund to pay nearly $2M in legal fees. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/report-ok-gov-used-tribal-gaming-fund-to-pay-nearly-2m-in-legal-fees/ar-AA1ePplB.
(2) Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt paid nearly $2 million in legal fees for .... https://www.kosu.org/politics/2023-08-04/oklahoma-gov-kevin-stitt-paid-more-than-1-9-million-in-legal-fees-for-gaming-lawsuits-with-state-money.
(3) ‘Wasted taxpayer dollars’: OK Governor pays private law firms $596k in federal tribal lawsuit – what happens next?. https://kfor.com/news/local/ok-governor-pays-private-law-firms-596k-in-federal-tribal-lawsuit-what-happens-next/.
(4) Report: OK Gov. used tribal gaming fund to pay nearly $2M in legal fees. https://kfor.com/news/local/report-ok-gov-used-tribal-gaming-fund-to-pay-nearly-2m-in-legal-fees/.
(5) Gov. Kevin Stitt paid more than $1.9 million in legal fees for gaming .... https://www.readfrontier.org/stories/gov-kevin-stitt-paid-more-than-1-9-million-in-legal-fees-for-gaming-lawsuits-with-state-money/.
