The decision was made before Attorney General Gentner Drummond sent his letter to the Governor.
COO Rose said his decision was based on conversations with his family and future in mind but noted the attorney general is now using his exit as an opportunity to score political points ahead of an election year.
The attorney general’s letter to the Governor comes after COO Rose sent a letter last month to the AG’s Office and several other agencies, asking them to justify recent agency growth and purchasing requests. To date, OMES has yet to receive a response from the attorney general.
“It’s my job to make sure taxpayer money is spent wisely and on services that benefit Oklahomans,” COO Rose said. “When a request of this size comes through my office, it is my job to question it. The Attorney General’s Office has nearly doubled in both headcount and salaries since 2023. I am still awaiting justification as to why this is and why more taxpayer money is needed to purchase more vehicles.”
COO Rose emphasized that the only directive from the Governor related to the matter was to protect taxpayers and ensure agencies are accountable. He noted he has had multiple conversations with the Attorney General’s Office – including a direct call with AG Drummond – regarding the vehicle purchase request.
During those discussions, COO Rose questioned why Drummond’s office had nearly doubled in staff from 190 full-time employees and a payroll of around $16 million to a current count of 342 and a payroll of approximately $30 million since he took office in January 2023.
“My role is to keep agency growth under control and focused on mission,” COO Rose said. “We can’t have unchecked growth in government. The unusually large request for vehicles raised many questions of concern on my end. I believe in checks and balances in government. No one should have unfettered power, and no one is above the law. The statute requires me to confirm that any new vehicle purchase is based on genuine need, not unchecked governmental growth.”
The Attorney General’s Office already possesses 83 vehicles. The additional request for another 10 vehicles represented an increase of more than 10%, something no other agency had requested under COO Rose’s tenure.
COO Rose noted any justifications provided by the AG’s Office overlapped with work already handled by agencies such as OBN, OSBI and OMMA.
“While the AG claims to be the state’s top law enforcement officer, that role has traditionally been the state’s top attorney. Law enforcement makes arrests – the AG prosecutes.”
Departure from OMES
COO Rose verbally submitted his resignation to the Governor on Wednesday, Sept. 3, and didn’t know about the attorney general’s letter to the Governor until approximately 4 p.m. Monday, Sept. 8, after a reporter reached out for comment.
“I’m not sure if Drummond thinks there shouldn’t be checks on all agencies – or just his. This law exists as a safeguard against out-of-control agency spending.”
To reference the law directly, under 74 O.S. § 78a, the OMES director has the authority to approve or deny agency vehicle purchases, and agencies must demonstrate actual need.
COO Rose said that while other agencies consistently provide the information requested of them, the attorney general instead chose to “fire off an accusatory letter to the Governor” after telling COO Rose that he would provide the information.
“OMES isn’t in the business of personal battles,” COO Rose said. “Our mission is simple: to serve Oklahomans and protect their tax dollars. No one should be above the law.”
A copy of the letter sent to the attorney general is linked below, along with the agency headcount report OMES provided to the Governor.
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