Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond isn't pulling any punches in his latest public rebuke of Governor Stitt. Drummond is accusing the governor of being in the pocket of big poultry interests at the expense of environmental health and the people of Oklahoma. He suggests that Stitt's dismissive treatment of a crucial environmental lawsuit and the firing of his Secretary of Energy and Environment speak to where his loyalties lie.
In an incendiary letter, made public by the Oklahoma Attorney General's Office, Drummond states, "Your actions speak louder than words: you are bought and paid for by out-of-state Big Poultry corporations." The pointed criticism hinges on the longstanding State of Oklahoma v. Tyson Foods, Inc. case, which seeks accountability for pollution in the Illinois River watershed from phosphorus in chicken waste – an issue that a federal court found persists even earlier this year.
This feud comes on the heels of earlier reports that Governor Stitt might be attempting to work out a more cooperative deal regarding the pollution. Yet Drummond views such reports with skepticism. "These companies have poured money into your political campaigns, and now you are doing their bidding—seeking a sweetheart deal that puts their profits ahead of Oklahoma's people, our farmers, and our land," Drummond told Stitt, as mentioned in the same news.
Despite the harsh tone of his public statements, Drummond underscores his readiness to find a fair resolution to the pollution problem, while simultaneously affirming his stance in support of Oklahoma farmers against corporate offenders. "I am firmly pro-agriculture and deeply committed to Oklahoma’s farm families, but I will not turn a blind eye when out-of-state Big Poultry companies ignore the rule of law, abuse our land, and put excessive profits over the hardworking men and women who make this industry possible," as stated in the Oklahoma Attorney General's Office. Evidently, the legal and political battle over Oklahoma's environmental health and agricultural future is far from over.
