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News from the South - Oklahoma News Feed

Oklahoma Treasurer’s Office Faces Scrutiny Over Use of Signal in Anti-ESG Coordination

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oklahomawatch.org – Paul Monies – 2025-04-22 06:00:00

The chief of staff for Oklahoma Treasurer Todd Russ used messaging app Signal to communicate and coordinate policy with groups opposed to environmental, social and governance standards, according to an open records lawsuit. 

In a deposition taken in February, Chief of Staff Jordan Harvey said she used the app in late 2022 and early 2023. At the time, the newly elected treasurer was figuring out how to implement the Oklahoma Energy Discrimination Elimination Act. The law directs the treasurer to create a list of prohibited financial firms for state or local vendors who had corporate policies perceived to be hostile to fossil fuels. 

Harvey said she has Signal installed on a personal cell phone. She received briefing documents on Signal from organizations opposed to ESG efforts that she then forwarded to personal and work email addresses. That was before she was issued a state cell phone, Harvey said in the deposition. Selected portions of the deposition were filed as an exhibit in the lawsuit in March. 

Signal allows any party in a conversation to set the messages to self-delete after a certain time period. The messaging app has been central to revelations in the past month that high-level members of the Trump administration used the app to plan and coordinate war efforts, with a reporter included in the chat

“I set my communication not to delete,” Harvey said in the deposition about her personal use of Signal. “The other person or people on the thread have the same ability to set the deletion time period. And then all parties on that thread are subject to that.” 

Harvey said the treasurer’s officer turned over the documents she received on Signal under an open records request. She said the office could not provide the related messages from Signal because they disappeared by the time the records request was made in July 2023. 

Records already provided by the treasurer’s office show that Harvey sent an email to the governor’s office in May 2023 with documents attached referencing Net-Zero Asset Managers Alliance emissions goals and questions. 

“These are from our friends in DC that came about 2 months ago to meet with Treasurer Russ and the Governor,” the email said. “They are a little more targeted questions.” 

In the deposition, Harvey said that email referenced three groups active in the anti-ESG efforts across the country: State Financial Officers Foundation, Heritage Action for America and Consumers’ Research Inc. 

That trio of anti-ESG groups are now opposing efforts by the plaintiff, Alabama-based FOIA Professional Services LLC, to have them produce their sides of the Signal messages to Harvey. 

Attorneys for the State Financial Officers Foundation, Heritage Action for America and Consumers’ Research Inc. asked Oklahoma’s attorney general for help in quashing subpoenas for records. They argued the groups were engaging in protected political speech when they communicated with officials from the treasurer’s office and they were being dragged into a dispute where they are not covered by the Oklahoma Open Records Act. 

“Plaintiff’s attempt to gain access to withheld documents from nongovernmental sources through these subpoenas is the definition of a backdoor attempt to evade the ORA prior to any court decision on applicable exemptions and privileges,” the attorney general’s office wrote in an April 8 court filing

The treasurer’s office, through a spokeswoman, said it does not comment on active litigation. 

It is unknown for whom FOIA Professional Services was working when it requested the records from the treasurer’s office in July 2023. The organization filed the open records lawsuit in Oklahoma County district court in October. 

“Our clients range from small businesses and government contractors to law firms and Fortune 500 companies,” the company said on its website. “However, we are a fully confidential service. Our clients’ names are not available and their requests are made 100% anonymously.” 

Approved Messaging Apps? 

The Oklahoma Office of Management and Enterprise Services said there’s no statewide list of approved apps for state devices. Those decisions are left to individual agencies, spokeswoman Christa Helfrey said last week. 

“Policies and procedures are in place for all applicable agencies, including but not limited to CIO (chief information officer) standards and the Open Records Act,” Helfrey said. “Agencies can also create additional policies and procedures specific to that agency.” 

The attorney general’s office said it reminds public agencies and employees that apart from a few exceptions, records regarding government business on personal devices are subject to the law. In response to media questions in late 2023, it advised against using third-party messaging apps.

“The Office of the Attorney General strongly discourages public officials from using third-party messaging applications when communicating about public business,” the statement said. “Electronic communications such as emails and text messages that concern public business are records under the Open Records Act. It does not matter whether an electronic communication is on a personal or public device. If the communication concerns public business and is not exempt from production or able to be kept confidential, then it must be produced on request.” 

When an Oklahoma Watch reporter asked Gov. Kevin Stitt about using Signal last month, he claimed not to know much about the app and joked that he wasn’t tech-savvy. But Stitt said he sometimes used another messaging app, WhatsApp, to communicate with contacts in other countries. 

“I do have WhatsApp, so if I’m traveling overseas, that seems to be the method over there,” Stitt said at a March 26 news conference at the Capitol. “I still get phone calls from some of the Asian folks we met when I was over there. That seems to be how they contact me. But that’s the only messaging app that I have on my personal phone. I’ve never Signaled; I don’t know what Signal is.” 

Enforcement of the Energy Discrimination Elimination Act is on hold after a retiree, Don Keenan, challenged its constitutionality and what he called political interference in the state’s pension plans. Keenan is a retiree getting a pension from the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System. Trustees for the system took an exemption to the anti-ESG law in August 2023 so it wouldn’t have to divest up to $6 billion in investments with BlackRock Inc., one of the companies on Oklahoma’s restricted financial companies list.  
Oklahoma County District Judge Sheila Stinson issued a permanent injunction in September, prohibiting enforcement of the law. The attorney general is appealing that order to the Oklahoma Supreme Court.

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

The post Oklahoma Treasurer’s Office Faces Scrutiny Over Use of Signal in Anti-ESG Coordination 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 Assessment: Center-Left

The content primarily discusses a case involving the Oklahoma Treasurer’s office’s use of the messaging app Signal to coordinate against environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives. This focus on scrutinizing the actions of government officials, especially regarding their ties to anti-ESG groups, indicates a stance that is critical of conservative policies that favor fossil fuel interests. The mention of groups like the State Financial Officers Foundation and Heritage Action for America, known for their opposition to ESG principles, suggests an alignment with more progressive or left-leaning viewpoints, particularly concerning environmental accountability and transparency in government actions. The overall tone and content suggest a preference for transparency in governance, especially when policies impact social and environmental standards, which aligns with center-left ideology.

News from the South - Oklahoma News Feed

Attorney General alleges AI used in Swadley's BBQ case

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www.youtube.com – KFOR Oklahoma’s News 4 – 2025-09-11 23:31:49

SUMMARY: Attorney General Drummond alleges that Swadley’s BBQ owner Brent Wadley and his defense team used artificial intelligence (AI) in legal filings, leading to errors and falsehoods as their trial approaches in November. The defense denies using AI, attributing mistakes to human error amid tight deadlines. The case involves allegations that Swadley’s overbilled the state by nearly $5 million in a state parks contract, leading to indictments in 2022. The defense seeks to remove the Attorney General, claiming his remarks compromised their fair trial rights. Experts warn AI use by attorneys may be unethical or illegal, with potential punishments pending.

Attorney General alleges AI used in Swadley’s BBQ case

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News from the South - Oklahoma News Feed

Judge Attempts to Quash Press Investigation With Gag Order

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oklahomawatch.org – JC Hallman – 2025-09-09 06:00:00


In 2024, Estelle Simonton, 91, was placed under APS guardianship and moved to a care facility. A judge denied APS’s request to fully restrict visitation but barred her son Matthew from discussing the case with Estelle or the press. Nursing home staff attempted to block Matthew’s visit, despite a court ruling allowing it. Experts criticize Oklahoma’s guardianship system for lack of transparency, oversight, and respondent rights, suggesting predatory practices. The judge’s gag order on media has raised First Amendment concerns. This case highlights systemic issues in Oklahoma’s guardianship laws amid growing calls for reform and better safeguards against abuse.

On August 29, Oklahoma County Special Judge Michelle “Shel” Harrington heard arguments on an Adult Protective Services motion to restrict all visitation for Estelle Simonton, 91. Simonton was moved from her Del City home to Wolfe Living Center at Summit Ridge in Harrah in 2024, after being put under an APS guardianship order.

Harrington did not restrict all visitation, but she came close. Then she added a couple of stunners: ordering her son, Matthew Simonton, not to discuss his mother’s case with his mother and barring her from talking to reporters.

On August 4, Matthew Simonton went to visit his mother. Nursing home staff attempted to deny access; after a tense confrontation, the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office was called.

Deputies deferred to statutory proof that a visit was legal; over strenuous objections from nursing home staff, a visit was permitted and a subsequent incident report confirmed that the nursing home did not have the necessary court order to deny visitation.

Though aged, Estelle Simonton was found to be lucid and expressed a fervent desire to be with her son.

“The judge had already ruled that I could see my mother,” Matthew Simonton said. “They were defying what the judge had already ordered.”

Participate in Decisions that Affect Them

In 2015, Rep. Richard Morrissette, D-Oklahoma City, requested guidance from then-Attorney General Scott Pruitt on when and how visitation to a vulnerable adult under a guardianship order can be restricted.

Pruitt’s lengthy opinion first articulated the guiding principle of Title 30, Oklahoma’s laws on guardians and wards.

The clear intent of the law, the opinion said, was to encourage the self-reliance and independence of wards as much as possible; to the maximum extent of their ability, wards should be enabled to participate in all decisions that affect them.

Restriction of visitation to adults under guardianship orders was detailed in Title 43a, Oklahoma’s mental health laws, the opinion said.

Wards should be permitted the ability to associate with whomever they wish, the opinion said; but if a judge does restrict access, the order must specify the persons who are to be restricted.

A Restraining Order is Hereby Entered

In the August 29 hearing, Harrington ruled against the APS request to restrict all access to Estelle Simonton; Matthew Simonton was permitted to visit his mother.

But the judge issued several other rulings.

Special judges in Oklahoma are not elected; district court judges appoint them, and their duties and powers are significantly limited.

Judge Harrington’s LinkedIn page identifies her not as a judge, but as an attorney whose practice is entirely restricted to family law; she is a “divorce lawyer who doesn’t like divorce,” and who values “dating smarter” and “keeping marriage strong.”

In addition to denying APS’s motion, Harrington issued three orders: Matthew Simonton cannot discuss his mother’s case with his mother; he cannot bring anyone other than his domestic partner and her child to visit Estelle Simonton; and access to Estelle Simonton is denied to any member of the media.

“A restraining order is hereby entered preventing Mrs. Simonton from being interviewed by press without further order of this court,” the ruling reads.

Predatory Guardianship

Rick Black, founder of the Center for Estate Administration Reform, which has investigated 5,000 suspect adult guardianships since 2013, said the story of Estelle Simonton reeked of judicial hubris.

Black said that Oklahoma’s guardianship system appeared to lack best practices designed to avoid abuse and ignored an obligation to seek the least restrictive alternatives to guardianship. A lack of respondent counsel, transparency and third-party oversight, combined with an absence of video recordings at hearings and a requirement to seal files to avoid independent investigation, were significant issues with Oklahoma’s system, Black said.

Nationwide, Black said, there was a growing trend toward using claims of defamation as retaliation against those who expose guardianship wrongdoing. Lawsuits have been used to hobble the production of exposé documentary films being produced by Netflix and A&E.

For Black, Estelle Simonton was a case in point.

“The desire to silence [her son] Matthew and isolate Estelle is consistent with a predatory guardianship,” Black said. “The judge attempting to silence media on Estelle’s situation is also concerning.”

Oklahoma law requires judges to seal guardianship cases, a double-edged sword that is meant to protect patient privacy but also effectively thwarts any third-party investigation or oversight, a problem exacerbated by Harrington’s gag order.

Oklahoma City attorney Andy Lester, who has chaired the Oklahoma Free Speech Committee since it was created in 2022, agreed that Harrington’s ruling looks like an inappropriate encroachment on the First Amendment and the freedom of the press.

“This ruling appears to be an overreaching prior restraint,” Lester said. “It looks like a restriction on Ms. Simonton, but, as worded, it purports to bar all press. That is a step too far.”

The court did not respond to a request for comment by the story’s deadline.

No Oklahomans for Oklahoma City Event

In October, the National Guardianship Association will hold a Guardianship/Conservatorship National Investigator Training Program in Oklahoma City. The three-day event will feature talks on nursing home regulations, the ethics and standards of guardianship, and the role of judges in guardianship cases.

Former NGA president Anthony Palmieri, who will deliver the conference’s opening remarks, noted in a September 6 LinkedIn post that there had been no registrations from Oklahoma for the Oklahoma City event.

Editor’s note: This story was updated to show the judge barred Estelle Simonton from speaking to the press, not Matthew Simonton. 

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

The post Judge Attempts to Quash Press Investigation With Gag Order 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

This article critiques the guardianship and judicial system in Oklahoma, highlighting issues of transparency, individual rights, and potential abuses of power. It emphasizes concerns about government overreach, the silencing of dissent, and the protection of vulnerable individuals, which aligns with a center-left perspective that often advocates for civil liberties, accountability, and social justice reforms. The tone is investigative and critical of institutional authority without veering into partisan rhetoric, maintaining a focus on systemic reform rather than ideological extremes.

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News from the South - Oklahoma News Feed

College gameday preps underway in Norman

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www.youtube.com – KFOR Oklahoma’s News 4 – 2025-09-04 23:28:41

SUMMARY: College Gameday preparations are in full swing in Norman as the University of Oklahoma hosts Michigan in a highly anticipated top-20 matchup Saturday. The national spotlight returns to Norman for the second consecutive year, with the College Gameday stage being set up on the South Oval. Nearby, The Standard restaurant, co-owned by Cameron Brewer, was selected as the guest chef for the show after submitting a proposal to ESPN over Labor Day weekend. They will serve burgers, catfish po’boys, chicken and waffles, and desserts, starting early Saturday before bringing food to the College Gameday set. Excitement is high as the city gears up for game day.

College gameday preps underway in Norman Stay informed about Oklahoma news and weather! Follow KFOR News 4 on our …

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