| In a $60 million lawsuit, former cabinet secretary, David Ostrowe claims that disgraced former Oklahoma Attorney General Mike Hunter targeted Ostrowe's political assassination and imprisonment, simply for Ostrowe's loyalty to Gov. Kevin Stitt. In a Tulsa World article, Barbara Hoberock details a tawdry narrative of Hunter's jealousy, infidelity, and blind ambition to take down Gov. Stitt and become his successor. But while all this plotting evolved, Hunter was carrying on an extramarital affair with a woman in high position at the Oklahoma Dept. of Health. Ostrowe advised Gov. Stitt against appointing her as the next Commissioner of Health. This just painted a bigger target on Ostrowe's back. Hunter then orchestrated a criminal indictment of Ostrowe, forcing his departure from Stitt's team. But Stitt's team began quietly conducting their own investigations and started calling on the OSBI to do the same. Several judges and agency personnel faced scrutiny. Some judges resigned and now face corruption charges of their own. |  Disgraced former Okla. AG, Mike Hunter. |
 David Ostrowe | Then came a fateful question to Mike Hunter, in late May. A reporter for the Oklahoman asked Hunter to respond to questions of an affair with another state leader. This simple question triggered the collapse of Hunter's 40 year political career. Within days Hunter presented his resignation notice. Soon after, Hunter vacated his indictment of Ostrowe. Ostrowe rejoined the Stitt leadership team. But when Ostrowe began getting answers to the questions about the conspiracy against him, He began his legal effort to expose this high state corruption. Ostrowe eventually resigned from the Stitt administration and with the advice of his legal counsel, he prepared a lawsuit against the State of Oklahoma. While Ostrowe's court filing is civil, and his sought reparations are simply monetary; the state does need to aggressively mount a serious and in-depth criminal investigation of the entire Attorney General's office, the state's 1st District Court, David Prater (1st District Attorney), and others who have conspired with the various suspected subversions of justice of Mike Hunter. |
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John O'Conner, a former federal court judge in Tulsa, succeeded Hunter as the Attorney General. O'Conner has signaled that no indictment of Ostrowe seems to be on the table. But O'Conner has the constitutional responsibility to defend the State of Oklahoma in the $60 million lawsuit. If ever there was a need for outside defense counsel, this is that scenario.
Gov. Stitt has a duty to protect the people of Oklahoma and the state treasury from any financial hit. But Stitt likely agrees with Ostrowe and is deeply sympathetic to his suffering. Stitt is likely to be subpoenaed to testify in this civil suit. The people of Oklahoma need justice. Not just for a defamed man named David Ostrowe, but for every one of us who might never step up to serve in public because of what can happen to us when a corrupt law enforcement officer decides we are in his way. O'Conner & Stitt need to advocate fairness and transparency. This is a time to quit the adversarial posturing of courtroom litigation. A lot more than $60 million dollars is a stake. The integrity of state govt. is in deep peril. |
In Barbera Hoberock's article, she includes.. "According to the notice, the anticipated claims are against Hunter, Tax Commissioner Charles T. Prater, the Oklahoma Tax Commission and possibly others.
They may include malicious prosecution; abuse of process; libel; slander; fraud; professional negligence; negligent supervision; intentional infliction of emotional distress; deprivation of rights; and civil conspiracy. The notice alleges that Hunter looked for someone close to Gov. Kevin Stitt, with whom he had differences on tribal gaming and the state’s opioid lawsuit. Hunter filed a lawsuit against opioid makers, but the verdict was later tossed out of court. Hunter had been privately reaching out to donors to support him in a 2022 gubernatorial primary bid against Stitt, according to the notice. Maliciously indicting one of the governor’s Cabinet secretaries on baseless charges was an easy way for Hunter to score political points to advance his gubernatorial aspirations and settle political scores, the notice claims." |
