Governor Stitt Appoints Special Counsel to Investigate Mismanagement at Oklahoma Department of Mental Health

In a letter sent last week, Governor Stitt granted the Gable Gotwals attorney full authority to investigate potential abuse, waste, mismanagement, and fraud uncovered by Commissioner Allie Friesen.

“Robert and his team will leave no stone unturned, because the people of Oklahoma deserve to know exactly what went wrong and who is responsible,” said Governor Stitt. “I want ODMHSAS to earn the public’s trust and operate with the integrity that Oklahomans expect and deserve. These problems didn’t develop overnight and solving them won’t happen overnight either. But we are moving quickly, and we are not looking the other way.”

In a letter to House Speaker Kyle Hilbert and Senate Pro Tem Lonnie Paxton earlier this month, the appointment of special counsel is part of a broader set of immediate reforms to stabilize the agency. The investigation will be conducted independently, and the special counsel will report directly to the Governor’s Office.

Read Governor Stitt’s letter to Robert McCampbell here.