by Keaton Ross, Oklahoma Watch
July 25, 2025

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond has appointed the assistant executive coordinator of the District Attorneys Council as a special prosecutor in the Richard Glossip case, raising eyebrows among attorneys and prompting scrutiny from supporters of the former death row prisoner. 

Ryan Stephenson, a former Oklahoma County prosecutor who now serves as a legislative liaison and organizes training events for the DA Council, made an initial appearance on behalf of the state in the Glossip case on April 24. He received official notice of his appointment as a special assistant attorney general on June 4, nearly six weeks later. 

Stephenson, who earned $12,333 from the DA Council in May, has not received supplemental payments from the attorney general’s office, according to a records request fulfilled on July 18. 

The appointment comes two years after several district attorneys sparred with Drummond over his efforts to overturn Glossip’s death sentence over prosecutorial misconduct. In a group text thread, a few district attorneys suggested wielding their collective power to get Drummond to recuse and choose one of them to represent the state in the matter. 

“The AG [Drummond] has a conflict of interest because he has taken a position against the victim and so he should appoint one of us,” District 8 District Attorney Brian Hermanson wrote on May 9, 2023. “Then we can do it on the AG’s nickel.” 

Drummond ultimately prevailed when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Glossip’s death sentence on Feb. 25 because the prosecution knowingly withheld evidence. But his office is now seeking to convict Glossip of non-capital first-degree murder in Oklahoma County District Court, a reversal from 2023, when he agreed over email to accept a time-served plea deal on an accessory to murder charge. In a July 16 court filing, the Attorney General’s office stated the deal was still being negotiated and was anticipatory at best. 

Multiple attorneys, who requested anonymity because they are working on pending cases involving the attorney general’s office, said Stephenson’s appointment to the case is unusual and not clearly outlined in statute. 

Section 215.28 of Title 19 of the Oklahoma Statutes states that the assistant executive coordinator shall devote full time to their duties and not engage in the private practice of law. Working on behalf of the state is generally considered public practice, but long hours could interfere with his full-time employment. 

The statute Drummond cited when appointing Stephenson does not explicitly authorize a special assistant attorney general, though it grants the attorney general the broad authority to appoint employees deemed necessary for the “proper performance of his or her duties.” 

Brook Arbeitman, a spokesperson for Oklahoma County District Attorney Vicki Behenna, said Behenna had no involvement in the appointment. Through District Attorney’s Council spokesperson Damon Gardenhire, Stephenson declined comment and referred questions to the attorney general’s office.

Leslie Berger, a spokeswoman for Drummond, acknowledged an inquiry from Oklahoma Watch on July 14 but said a person with knowledge of the situation was unavailable. Several follow-up requests for comment were unsuccessful. 

Three of Glossip’s most vocal supporters, including a current and one former state lawmaker, said Stephenson’s appointment appears to be a political maneuver to win back support from Oklahoma’s district attorneys. Drummond, a Republican, launched his gubernatorial campaign in January and will face a crowded primary field in 2026. 

“He’s just giving them [DA’s Council] a shot at him regardless of what’s right and what’s wrong,” said Rep. Justin Humphrey, a Republican from Lane who has said he believes Glossip is innocent. 

Justin Jackson, a former state Senate candidate from Tuskahoma and personal friend of Glossip, said he approached Drummond at a fundraising event in Stephens County to talk about the case. He said Drummond responded that the state had an obligation to follow the process.

“He has scars,” Jackson said. “But my response to him was an endorsement from the DAs means nothing to the populace of Oklahoma. It’s more important that he stood up for what was right, and I’m grateful he did at the time that he did.” 

Kevin McDugle, a former state representative who tried to pause the death penalty because he believes Glossip is innocent, said he had several productive meetings with Drummond in 2023 to discuss the case. 

“It’s 1,000% political,” McDugle said. “The DAC were aggravated at him and he needs their support for governor. Now he’s trying to play both sides, and that aggravates me.”

The District Attorneys Council, a state agency tasked with providing administrative support and training to Oklahoma’s 27 independently elected district attorneys, isn’t allowed to endorse candidates. But a closely related group with nearly identical leadership, the Oklahoma District Attorney’s Association, is politically active. The DA Association, which isn’t subject to Oklahoma’s open meetings law, usually meets five minutes after the conclusion of the DA Council meeting. 

The DA Association lobbied against three criminal justice reform ballot initiatives that appeared on the ballot since 2016: State Question 780, State Question 805 and State Question 820. The organization also joined an amicus brief asking the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold Glossip’s death sentence. 

With a potential trial date likely several months or years in the future, the most recent discussion has centered on whether Glossip should be allowed to bond out of the Oklahoma County Detention Center. Oklahoma County District Judge Heather Coyle issued a ruling late Wednesday afternoon denying the defense’s motion to set bond, writing that the state has shown clear and convincing evidence of Glossip’s guilt. 

During a July 21 status conference, Glossip’s attorneys argued he should be granted release on his own recognizance because Drummond preliminarily agreed to release him on time served in 2023. 

“There can be no better statement that the state of Oklahoma does not believe that Mr. Glossip is a danger to anyone in any way,” attorney Don Knight wrote in a July 16 filing. 

In response, Senior Assistant Attorney General Jennifer Hinsperger said the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling does not discredit other evidence tying Glossip to Barry Van Treese’s murder. 

“The State maintains that the evidence against Mr. Glossip remains as strong today as it did at the time of the prior juries’ verdicts of guilt,” she wrote. 

Hinsperger and Jimmy Harmon, the chief of the attorney general’s criminal division, are prosecuting the Glossip case alongside Stephenson. Both previously worked as assistant district attorneys for the Oklahoma County DA’s office.  

The next hearing, where the two sides could decide when to consider the defense’s motion to honor the 2023 plea agreement, is set for Aug. 14 at 1 p.m. 

In a June 9 written statement, Drummond vowed that his office would re-prosecute Glossip solely on hard facts, solid evidence and truthful testimony. He said he decided not to seek the death penalty because Justin Sneed, Glossip’s co-conspirator, who admitted to beating Van Treese to death with a baseball bat in an Oklahoma City motel room in 1997, received life without the possibility of parole. Glossip has maintained that Sneed implicated him as plotting the murder to avoid getting the death penalty. 

“The Van Treese family has endured grief, pain and frustration since the murder of their loved one, and my heart goes out to them,” Drummond said. “The poor judgment and previous misconduct of past prosecutors have only compounded that pain and frustration. While I cannot go back 25 years and handle the case in the proper way that would have ensured true justice, I still have a duty to seek the justice that is available today.”

This article first appeared on Oklahoma Watch and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post Oklahoma District Attorneys Gain Ally in Glossip Case appeared first on oklahomawatch.org

Oklahoma Watch, at oklahomawatch.org, is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that covers public-policy issues facing the state.

Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Center-Right

This article presents a detailed account of the Richard Glossip case with a focus on legal and political maneuvering involving Oklahoma’s Attorney General Gentner Drummond, a Republican preparing for a gubernatorial run. The coverage highlights tension between the AG and local district attorneys, emphasizing political strategy behind appointments and prosecutorial decisions. The language remains largely factual and neutral, but the framing around Drummond’s political calculations and criticism from Republican supporters suggests a mild center-right perspective, reflecting mainstream conservative legal and political concerns without overt editorializing or partisan rhetoric.

by Valerie Scott, Oklahoma Watch
July 24, 2025

President Donald Trump’s budget bill brings stricter rules to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the federal food assistance program, and shifts costs to states, putting an estimated 131,000 Oklahomans at risk of losing food benefits.

That’s about one-sixth of the 686,800 SNAP users in Oklahoma, which includes 255,000 children and 68,000 seniors.

One estimate showed Oklahoma could lose $628 million in 2029, a 39.3% reduction.

The bill requires states to assume a greater share of costs previously covered by the federal government. The share is based on the error rates within the SNAP program. Beginning in 2028, states that pass a 6% error rate must pay 5% to 15% of the cost for food benefits.

As of fiscal year 2024, Oklahoma’s error rate was at 10.87%, requiring tax money to pay the highest bracket of cost-sharing at 15%. With 17% of Oklahoma residents on SNAP, the state spent $1.51 billion on benefits in fiscal 2024. 

It is unclear where Oklahoma will source the funding and whether the state has the resources to fill in the growing gaps.

“I don’t think we will cut out SNAP, but I also don’t think Oklahoma is prepared to pay,” U.S. Rep. Tom Cole said. “There is certainly a need for the program. It is up to the state; I believe Oklahoma will make responsible decisions.”

In Cole’s district alone, 25,000 Oklahoma households will be at risk of losing SNAP benefits.

Trump signed the bill on July 4. In addition to SNAP, it cuts other safety net programs such as Medicaid. There was overwhelming support in Congress from Republican lawmakers, with support from all but three. Senators Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Susan Collins of Maine joined all Democrats in voting against the bill. 

“This is an extraordinary piece of legislation,” said U.S. Rep. Tom Cole, R-Moore. “It includes all of Trump’s promises-energy independence, border security, and addresses entitlements in respect to Medicaid. There are problem areas, but when you pull off something this big there will be areas to address.” 

Key points from the new law:

• Cuts back on the increases in SNAP benefits based on the Thrifty Food Plan
• Expands work requirement to parents with children over the age of 14, adults aged 55 to 64, foster youths who have aged out of the system, veterans and people experiencing homelessness
• Refugees, people granted asylum, certain survivors of domestic violence and certain victims of sex or labor trafficking no longer qualify for SNAP

Food Pantries Brace for Impact

With cuts to SNAP, food pantries project an increase in patrons. Food access organizations across the state are preparing for the fallout. 

Stacy Dykstra, the chief executive officer of The Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma, said they provided more than 70.7 million meals in 2024 and they anticipate an increase in demand as SNAP recipients lose access to benefits or see their monthly allotments shrink.

“I think all food pantries will see an uptick,” Dykstra said. “Even without these cuts, we are already in a perilous place. I am concerned about what it will look like when people lose even more of their food benefits.” 

Cole argued for the changes, stating that SNAP is not sustainable the way it is now. He said there will be a stricter process in meeting requirements; the bill will stop immigrants who do not have the correct documentation from getting aid, put an end to those who can work but are not, reduce error rates and save money.

Food providers warned that such assumptions overlook the reasons people rely on SNAP. Katy Leffel, the chief executive officer of Skyline Food Bank in Oklahoma City, said her organization has seen a 99% increase in unique clients served and a 117% increase in service deliveries to individuals from 2022 to 2024.

“We’re already stretched,” Leffel said. “We’re meant to be a supplemental gap filler; people come once every 30 days, and 70% of our patrons come just three times a year or less. They’re not abusing the system. They’re coming because they had a medical bill, popped a tire, or missed a shift because their kid was sick. This idea that people are freeloading just doesn’t hold up.”

The bill also includes language to ensure that people who have entered the U.S. illegally do not receive benefits, although undocumented residents did not qualify under the previous requirements. The United States Department of Agriculture has said that non-citizen immigrants are ineligible for SNAP. To apply for the program, applicants must submit personal documents, such as their Social Security card, which people who have entered the U.S. illegally do not possess. 

The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities also released a statement on June 6, noting that people who lack documentation are already ineligible for benefits. The cuts would affect immigrants who lawfully live and work in the U.S., along with children of U.S. citizen immigrants. 

Parents with school-aged children, meaning seven or older, could see their SNAP benefits cut or terminated entirely.

SNAP provides food assistance to 1 of every 5 children in the U.S. It is estimated that more than 2 million children will be affected by the funding cuts. Students will also lose access to free school meals. Children whose parents are enrolled in SNAP automatically qualify for free school lunches, breakfasts and summer EBT, which stands for electronic benefits transfer..

“There’s tons of research that tells us nutrition is critical for health outcomes,” Dykstra said. “When people have consistent access to nutritious food, it reduces ER visits, saves the state money, and supports our economy. So investing in SNAP is actually investing in Oklahoma.”

According to data collected by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, food insecurity is harmful to a child’s health and, in turn, their education. The research showed that low-income children who don’t receive SNAP are more likely to be underweight, obese or in poor health. The CBPP collected information showing that children who have access to adequate food have better math and reading scores, fewer absences due to illness and increased chances of graduating. 

“The sad thing is that SNAP has been shown to be economically advantageous,” Leffel said. “For every dollar you invest, you get more back in the local economy. I think Oklahoma’s not alone in being a state that’s going to have a serious problem making up the funding difference.”

This article first appeared on Oklahoma Watch and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post Historic Cuts to SNAP Put 131,000 Oklahomans at Risk of Losing Benefits  appeared first on oklahomawatch.org

Oklahoma Watch, at oklahomawatch.org, is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that covers public-policy issues facing the state.

Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Center-Left

The content primarily focuses on the negative impact of budget cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and other safety net programs, emphasizing the risks and hardships faced by affected Oklahoma residents, including children and seniors. It highlights concerns from food pantry leaders and cites research on the benefits of SNAP, which aligns with a viewpoint advocating for social welfare and government support for vulnerable populations. The inclusion of criticism towards the legislation and its potential consequences, while acknowledging some Republican perspectives, suggests a leaning towards a viewpoint that favors expanded social programs and protection for disadvantaged groups, characteristic of a center-left stance.

SUMMARY: The first Oklahoma task force team sent to assist Texas after historic, deadly flooding has returned home after a demanding 16-day mission. Led by Battalion Chief Derek Stewart, the team worked tirelessly in the Texas Hill Country, focusing on the hardest-hit areas like Kerrville. Their recovery efforts involved physically exhausting searches along the Guadalupe River, using rafts, canine units, and thorough ground coverage. The experience was mentally draining, with the team facing emotional challenges while bringing closure to affected families. The flooding caused over 100 deaths and catastrophic damage. Stewart emphasized the powerful force of water and expressed gratitude to Texans for their support.

Task force team returns to Oklahoma after 16-day mission

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