Oklahoma Dept. of Ed. Extends Controversial PR Contract
The Department of Education last week exercised an option to extend a controversial public relations contract.
As Jennifer Palmer reported, the state Office of Management and Enterprise Services confirmed that OSDE extended its contract with Vought Strategies, which expired June 30.
The contract, meant to score national television appearances and other promotion for State Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters, remains rife with controversy, ambiguity and obfuscation.
Legislators tried to ban Walters from using public money for outside public relations, but Gov. Kevin Stitt vetoed that item in the education spending-limits bill, ostensibly replacing it with an executive order banning self-promotion at taxpayer expense at all state agencies.
The Department of Education quickly claimed the order did not apply to the Vought contract, citing its prohibition on sole-source contracts. The department contends the PR contract was established through a competitive bidding process.
Vought Strategies owner, Mary Vought, had discussed the amount of the bid in advance, and Vought was the only company that responded to the request for proposal, which was cut off after 21 days. In most government bidding, the process remains open for at least 30 days, as required in the governor’s order. It is also customary to seek additional bidders when only one bid is received.
Although the order bans self-promotion, Vought’s pitches to Fox News and other conservative media organizations have promoted Walters’ take on hot-button social topics. The justification for the PR contract was its necessity for teacher recruitment, which has not been a topic of any of Walters’ appearances.
Jennifer confirmed the contract extension through OMES because the Department of Education refused to respond to her requests for records or information.
But the executive order is also in question. Attorney General decisions can be interpreted to mean Oklahoma’s governor doesn’t have the authority to issue executive orders except in specific circumstances that might not apply to his order related to public relations contracts issued in May.
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Ciao for now,
Ted Streuli
Executive Director, Oklahoma Watch
tstreuli@oklahomawatch.org
