Pruitt Asks Legislature to Forego Funding His Office

By Jason Doyle Oden

The Attorney General is taking the unusual move of asking the Legislature not to fund his office for the coming fiscal year. AG Scott Pruitt sent a letter to Governor Fallin and state legislators on Monday requesting they forego any funding for the AG’s office due to the budget challenge.

In the letter, Pruitt said that his office contributes to the bottom line of the state.

“Since I took office in 2011, the office of the Oklahoma Attorney General (OAG) has contributed over $25 million to the State due to our successful work in case settlements, fines and penalties. In addition, we have been able to reduce the expense of outside law firms to state agencies by well over $5 million. And although the OAG has taken on additional responsibilities in representing 75 state agencies, boards, and commissions (an increase of 25 during my term), assuming the statutory duties of the Human Rights Commission through our Office of Civil Rights Enforcement, strengthening our Tobacco Settlement enforcement efforts and launching our Solicitor General unit to preserve and protect Oklahoma’s interests in federal court, we have done so without creating an additional burden on the General Revenue Fund. In fact, appropriations attributable to funding for OAG operations have decreased by 12% since Fiscal Year 2011. In effect, we have been able to do more with less,” said Pruitt.

According to the AG’s Office, the Legislature funded the office with about $6.4 million dollars for the current fiscal year.

“It is our hope that releasing these funds will assist in mitigating the appropriations shortfall for agencies charged with public safety,” Pruitt continued in the letter.

He is asking for lawmakers to continue appropriations for pass-through funds to the AG for state shelters, the Safe Oklahoma program, and legal aid. Pruitt called these programs vitally important state functions. Together they received more than $7 million for the current fiscal year.