Democrat Rep. Pittman pleads guilty to felony forgery, resigns from office

State Rep. Ajay Pittman (D-OKC) has resigned in the wake of felony forgery and campaign finance violations. NonDoc has the in-depth particulars and background of the Pittman case. This will make the third special election in 2026 for a seat in the state legislature due to resignation, the others being Republican Ty Burns in HD35 and Democrat Forrest Bennett in HD92. Out of the 20 House Democrats that started the 60th Oklahoma Legislature after the 2024 election, this latest resignation means that 20% (4) of the original Democratic caucus will have resigned before the end of their two-year term.

Pittman pleads guilty after investigation by Drummond’s office

OKLAHOMA CITY (Jan. 28, 2026) – State Rep. Ayshia “Ajay” Pittman pleaded guilty today to felony charges related to submitting a forged check to the Oklahoma Ethics Commission following an investigation by Attorney General Gentner Drummond’s office. As part of her sentence, Pittman will resign from her elected position in the Oklahoma House of Representatives.

According to the charges, Pittman directed the creation of a falsified check, which was then submitted to the Oklahoma Ethics Commission in an attempt to avoid repayment of funds to her campaign account. The scheme involved altering and creating a false $2,500 check and using a computer network to  transmit the fraudulent document to state officials while representing it as genuine.

OCPA urges fraud review of state SNAP benefits

OCPA urges fraud review of state SNAP benefits

OKLAHOMA CITY (November 4, 2025)—Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs President Jonathan Small today called on state officials to conduct a thorough review of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in Oklahoma, noting that public data suggests a significant amount of fraud may be present.

“The share of Oklahomans on food stamps is nearly 50 percent higher than the share of people in poverty in Oklahoma,” Small said. “In other states, food-stamp participation is generally in line with the poverty rate. That suggests there may be a significant number of people in Oklahoma receiving benefits who do not qualify. It is important that state policymakers not put any state funds into the SNAP program right now; rather, officials must review the program to determine why Oklahoma’s rates are so out of line with national norms. Then they must take steps to implement work requirements, minimize SNAP costs and errors, prohibit illegal aliens from receiving SNAP subsidies, and take whatever additional steps are necessary to protect taxpayers.”

State Auditor: audit shows town of Red Rock misappropriated 39% of expenditures

FORENSIC AUDIT SHOWS TOWN OF RED ROCK MISAPPROPRIATED 39% OF EXPENDITURES

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK (October 1, 2024) -- Oklahoma State Auditor & Inspector [SA&I] Cindy Byrd today released her forensic audit report for the Town of Red Rock in Noble County. Auditor Byrd launched the investigation after receiving a request from District Attorney Brian Hermanson.

The SA&I investigation covered a five-year period between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2023. The audit exposed a significant number of questionable expenditures among the Town Clerk/Treasurer and Town Board members. 

OSDE uncovers $1.6 million in fraud at child-feeding sites during pandemic

OSDE uncovers $1.6 million in fraud at child-feeding sites during pandemic 

OKLAHOMA CITY (June 7, 2021) – In the wake of schools, community organizations and nonprofits having raced to provide free meals to children during the pandemic, the Oklahoma State Department of Education (OSDE) uncovered a record amount of fraud at child-feeding sites across the state. Over $1.6 million in federal funds were improperly claimed for reimbursement since April 2020, OSDE officials found. The majority of improper claims were reported at child-care sites. 

The agency’s Office of Child Nutrition Services uncovered the fraudulent activity through a number of accountability measures, including an unannounced review process implemented in 2016 under State Superintendent of Public Instruction Joy Hofmeister.

“We are incredibly grateful for our schools and community partners that stepped up to ensure the nutritional needs of children were met over the last year, as hundreds of schools provided summer meals for the first time. Oklahoma families rely on these services, and we are committed to ensuring integrity for these programs that fuel young learners,” Hofmeister said. “Oklahoma will continue to leverage federal dollars to help our children gain supports to be healthy and successful, and it is our charge to safeguard that valuable investment by taxpayers.” 

OK Attorney General launches new resource to combat unemployment fraud

Attorney General Hunter Launches New Effort to Assist Victims of Unemployment Fraud

OKLAHOMA CITY – Attorney General Mike Hunter today announced his office has developed a new resource to help process unemployment fraud claims.

Individuals or businesses that receive bogus claims are asked to fill out a new form on the attorney general’s website, where the claim will then be directed to the proper law enforcement agency.

Attorney General Hunter said during the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, there has been an increased number of fraudulent filings to the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission (OESC).

Oklahoma AG partners with Amazon to combat coronavirus fraud online

Attorney General Hunter Partners with Amazon to Combat Coronavirus Fraud Online

OKLAHOMA CITY – Attorney General Mike Hunter today announced his office’s ongoing partnership with Amazon to combat fraud and price gouging related to the Coronavirus.

The partnership will involve representatives from the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Unit and Amazon working together and frequently communicating about complaints on the price of goods and other fraudulent sales practices on the company’s website. It also will foster better, more immediate investigations to shut scams down as quickly as possible.

Lamb supports OPEA's call for Tourism Department investigation

LAMB WELCOMES PUBLIC EMPLOYEE ASSOCIATION’S CALL FOR TOURISM DEPARTMENT INVESTIGATION

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK, December 20, 2017 – Republican gubernatorial candidate Todd Lamb said today he welcomes an investigation into the Oklahoma Department of Tourism as called for by the Oklahoma Public Employees Association.

“As a member of the Tourism Commission, I welcome an investigation and support OPEA in their request,” Lamb said. “While a United States Secret Service agent, I regularly conducted thorough investigations, and believe they lead to greater clarity and transparency within the operations of public and/or private sector entities. Within the Tourism Department, information flows through the executive director and senior staff, and an investigation into that process is good public policy. OPEA’s request is one example of why I recently unveiled my Ethics in Government Reform Plan which contains the establishment of a state ombudsman within the office of the Oklahoma Attorney General. Any state employee could contact the ombudsman to bring forward concerns of waste, corruption or abuse without fear of repercussion.”


[More on the OPEA request here from FOX25 News]

Reps. Calvey, Cleveland, Gann Welcome Whistleblower Tips

Reps. Calvey, Cleveland, Gann Welcome Whistleblower Tips

OKLAHOMA CITY – State Reps. Kevin Calvey, R - Oklahoma City, Bobby Cleveland, R - Slaughterville, and Tom Gann, R - Inola, today invited whistleblowers among state employee and vendors to email them with tips about waste, fraud and misuse of funds in all state agencies.

"Our many hardworking and diligent state employees and vendors are as concerned about wasteful state spending as most Oklahomans," said the representatives.  "We encourage these whistleblowers to contact us at kevin.calvey@okhouse.gov, bobby.cleveland@okhouse.gov, and/or tom.gann@okhouse.gov with tips on exposing wasteful spending.  We imagine the House Special Investigative Committee as a whole will also invite such tips, and we look forward to working with other members of the committee."

Calvey noted that as a practicing lawyer for more than 23 years, and as a former Army officer with a secret security clearance, he is well aware of the importance of confidentiality.

"I will protect the privacy of all whistleblowers,” said Calvey. "That will be my priority concern, and I'm confident my colleagues will also keep sources confidential."

"In some cases a whistleblower might feel more comfortable getting information to one member of the committee rather than all 15 members," said Cleveland.  "It is in that spirit of cooperation that I make this invitation"

"Our state employees and vendors are in a great position to make state spending more cost-efficient for the taxpayers, and I am eager to gain the benefit of their experience in making our tax dollars work smarter," added Gann.

It’s NOT a ruse: Tax Cuts COULD be Financed by Cutting Government Waste

It’s NOT a ruse: Tax Cuts COULD be Financed by Cutting Government Waste

by Adam Kazda with Restore Accountability

In a recent opinion piece bashing the GOP’s failed attempt to fix Obamacare and its impact on plans to reform the tax code, the author confidently makes the claim that $600 billion in spending cuts could not come from government waste alone. Instead, he suggests money to offset tax cuts would have to come from entitlement programs like Social Security and Medicare.

While Congress will need to address the shortcomings of Medicare and Social Security in the near future and there are plenty of ways to keep tax reform deficit neutral by closing tax loopholes, it is important to test this underlying claim: Is it possible to identify $600 billion in waste?

First, the largest discretionary budget item is defense, where a lack of accountable spending is weakening our ability to protect the nation.

Unable to pass an audit for over two decades, wasteful spending at the Pentagon has spun out-of-control. The American public should know where about $0.20 of every dollar they pay in taxes goes, and Congress should require the Department of Defense to submit one ASAP. Some reports suggest that by just auditing the Pentagon, it would realize savings of over $25 billion through improved financial management.

Furthermore, the Defense Business Board (DBB) recently identified a “clear path to saving over $125 billion in the next five years,” at the Pentagon. According to the Washington Post, “The plan would not have required layoffs of civil servants or reductions in military personnel. Instead, it would have streamlined the bureaucracy through attrition and early retirements, curtailed high-priced contractors and made better use of information technology.”

Another relatively easy reform are the positions within the Pentagon that include support, supply, transportation, communications, morale, welfare, and recreation support. Currently, about 400,000 active duty service members serve in these types of commercial roles, costing taxpayers $54 billion every year. The DBB calls this a “poor use of our most expensive personnel – active duty military.” If just one-third of active duty military in commercial roles were replaced with civilians, it would save $53 billion over ten years.

Finally, non-military research and development that has little or nothing to do with national defense now totals $6 billion. Some would say non-military research should be done elsewhere. Refreshingly efficient!

If you thought the Department of Defense was uniquely inefficient you would be wrong. In fact, most of the federal government cannot figure out who gets paid and who does not!

Read the rest of this article from Restore Accountability at this link.

Switzer and Miller: 'Spy' Cams and Tax Credits

There is a common thread between two controversies covered by prominent Oklahoma bloggers and watchdogs.

Ken Miller and Barry Switzer - the InsureNet 'Spy' Camera Controversy

Mike McCarville, of the prominent and widely respected McCarville Report Online, has covered the InsureNet "Spy Cam" controversy very thoroughly in the past few months. His work uncovered several individuals who played key roles in the process.

Former football coach Barry Switzer has been involved in a nationwide move with InsureNet to land contracts for highway cameras designed to scan license plates. The first step in the process here in Oklahoma was to get the system moving through legislative means. Entering the scene here is State Rep. Ken Miller, who is now running for State Treasurer. Switzer has donated the maximum contribution of $5,000 to Miller's Treasurer race.

McCarville has many posts on this particular issue, but there are two specific posts that detail the involvement of Switzer and Miller. The first post is here, and the second is here.

Ken Miller and Barry Switzer - Controversy over Tax Credits

There is another tie between Miller and Switzer, dealing with tax credits.

From Andrew Griffin at Oklahoma Watchdog:

Investigative researcher and writer Nick Baker who goes by the handle “The Prowling Owl” and runs prowlingowl.com wrote a story in 2009 headlined “Tax credit fraud details found in Foxborough prospectus.” Involved in Foxborough, reported Baker, was Foxborough board member Barry Switzer, a figure, the researcher believes is involved in a program “to steal public funds, through tax credit scams.” This prospectus, Baker notes, is basically saying: “Our goal is tax credits,  we don’t want companies with employees. We only want companies that don’t need money and have the free and clear assets to borrow the money to give us on paper so we can give it back, call it an investment and get tax credits.”

In another post, headlined “OTC (Oklahoma Tax Commission) gives Switzer’s and partner’s $48 million in tax credits for investing $5 million,” Baker writes: “The fraud is executed in the Oklahoma Tax Commission, which comes under the supervision of the state treasurer. Barry Switzer just had a fundraiser for Rep. Ken Miller, running for state treasurer. Miller is currently chairman of the House Appropriations and Budget Committee, one of the most powerful positions in the legislature, while tax credit fraud runs rampant and ignored. While Switzer and cronies pillage the state treasury.”

The rest of the OW story is here. Nick Baker, of ProwlingOwl.com, has written extensively about hundreds of millions of dollars in tax credit fraud, which, in addition to Switzer, Miller, and numerous other individuals, also implicates 5th District congressional candidate Kevin Calvey.

BarackObama.com and Donor Fraud

Here's two great blog-posts about donor fraud on Barack Obama's website

BarackObama.com's Lax Security Opens Door to Online Donor Fraud

Who is John Galt?.

I think that after this election is over, we'll find out all sorts of things about Obama's donors...