Two statewide officials trade taxpayer-funded letters to push their own campaign interests

In which one announced gubernatorial candidate uses his official state government position and office to chides another probable gubernatorial candidate and would-be opponent for using his official state government position and office to advance himself and create political drama, all while criticizing the current governor with his campaign talking points on taxpayer letterhead.

They would both do well to be careful about using our tax dollars to unethically and illegally put the thumb of government on the scale for their political campaign.

Attorney General Gentner Drummond and State Superintendent Ryan Walters

‘Manufactured political drama’: Drummond responds to Walters’ request for formal opinion on Presidential executive order

OKLAHOMA CITY (March 3, 2025) – In a letter sent today to state Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters, Attorney General Gentner Drummond labeled Walters’ request for a formal Attorney General’s opinion on a Presidential executive order as “nothing more than manufactured political drama,” as the order is clearly the purview of the U.S. executive branch.

Drummond praised President Trump for his "dutiful and comprehensive” efforts to curb illegal immigration into the United States, and criticized Governor Kevin Stitt for his "many failures in dealing with this critical issue here in Oklahoma."

Walters requested the opinion Feb. 24 after President Trump issued an executive order directing federal agencies to prevent taxpayer resources from acting as a magnet for illegal immigration and to end taxpayer subsidization of open border services to illegal immigrants.

Drummond explained that the executive order does not involve state agencies and advised Walters to "cooperate with ... federal agencies to faithfully implement the Executive Order."

“As a reminder, the framers of the U.S. Constitution enshrined within it the concept of federalism," Drummond wrote. "This means that the United States and the several States are distinct and separate sovereigns. As a result, President Trump is the head of the Executive Branch for the United States Government. The President issues executive orders that direct the actions of federal departments, agencies, officers, employees, and contractors; while a Governor issues executive orders that direct the actions of state departments, agencies, officers, employees, and contractors.”

Drummond hailed the Executive Order, "Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders," as a model for every state while criticizing Gov. Stitt for six years of failure to take substantive action to curb taxpayer-funded services to illegal immigrants in Oklahoma.

“In fact, President Trump’s leadership addressing illegal immigration has been so strong and decisive that it has laid bare Governor Stitt’s many failures in dealing with this critical issue here in Oklahoma,” Drummond wrote. “For more than six years in office Gov. Stitt took no substantive action to address illegal immigration here in Oklahoma. Quite the opposite, Governor Stitt partnered with the Biden Administration to ‘resettle’ over 1,800 poorly vetted Afghan ‘refugees’ in Oklahoma. You recall that the FBI recently arrested one of them for planning a mass shooting on Election Day in 2024. Worse still, an audit revealed that Governor Stitt improperly spent over $6.5 million in taxpayer funds to ‘resettle’ these ‘refugees’ without appropriate authorization.

“I am very thankful for President Trump’s leadership on this critical issue, and I am very disappointed in Governor Stitt’s failures that have cost Oklahoma taxpayers billions and put our families at risk. [The executive order] should be a model for Oklahoma and every state to ensure their services are delivered only to those legally eligible to receive them.”

In closing, Drummond advised Walters to stay focused on his own responsibilities as Superintendent of Public Instruction.

"I suggest you devote increased energy and focus on improving the test scores and reading proficiency of Oklahoma Students," Drummond wrote. "The people of this state entrusted you with the critical responsibility of administering and managing public education. Fulfilling that responsibility should be your only focus."

Read the full letter.