OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — The State of Oklahoma has a web site devoted to the Oklahoma Governor’s mansion. As of this month, paragraph 12 of the web site states: “Governor Stitt and his family live in the five rooms on the second floor.”
We know that’s not true.
News 4’s Ali Meyer has been digging for the reality.
She unearthed a secret plan to build a model new Governor’s mansion on the grounds of the capitol complicated.
The historic Governor’s mansion was constructed in 1927; opened in 1928.
The Oklahoma Governor’s mansion was constructed to be a dwelling for the governor and first household.
Every governor since Henry Johnston has made a dwelling right here; 19 governors in 90 years.
Governor Kevin Stitt doesn’t stay within the Governor’s mansion.
He was elected 4 years in the past in 2018.
In August of 2019, he moved his household from Tulsa to Oklahoma City.
The Governor’s workplace confirms the primary household moved into the historic Governor’s mansion in August of 2019.
The first household didn’t keep.
Instead, the Stitts bought a $2.7 million dollar property at Oak Tree Golf and Country Club, twenty miles away from the State Capitol.
According to the Governor’s workers, on the time Governor Stitt took workplace in 2019, the mansion had fallen into disrepair.
The Governor’s workplace tells us, mildew within the HVAC system triggered the Stitt youngsters to get sick.
They declare the home was a fireplace hazard due to outdated electrical wiring.
They say it was “not conducive for family living.”
Privately, the Governor referred to as the historic dwelling “uninhabitable.”
In January of 2019, earlier than the primary household had even moved into the historic mansion, Governor Stitt was already engaged on plans to build a lavish, new, personal Governor’s mansion.
News 4 has spoken to each dwelling former governor. They all say the historic Governor’s mansion is a treasure; dwelling within the dwelling was a pleasure, one of many highest honors in Oklahoma.
For a century, it has been a privilege to reside within the halls of historical past at NE twenty third and Phillips, within the shadow of our state capitol.
“Back in the day, governors would have legislators over to the mansion for breakfast, “said Oklahoma historial Dr. Bob Blackburn. “It was important to get to know each other on a personal level before you go into battle, over at the Capitol.”
Historians have a chronicle of first household contributions.
Our ninth governor turned the grounds into a group backyard within the 1930’s.
“‘Alfalfa’ Bill Murray had the whole grounds plowed up and put into farm plots during his administration,” stated Oklahoma Historical Society Executive Director, Treat Thompson.
In the 1980’s Governor George Nigh added the Oklahoma swimming pool and later based Septemberfest, which was an annual celebration of the official residence of the primary household.
“People would be parking a half a mile away and walking in,” stated Dr. Blackburn. “They were getting the chance to see the Governor’s mansion, a chance to tour it, to see where the first family lived.”
Recent governors have taken nice pleasure within the restoration of the 14,000 sq. foot mansion and grounds.
Governor Frank Keating constructed the Phillips Pavilion. First Lady Cathy Keating fundraised for a everlasting assortment of furnishings and china.
Before that, Governor David Walters expanded the household dwelling space on the second ground to accommodate the primary household’s 4 youngsters.
Governor Brad Henry raised personal funds for a Steinway grand piano and a household film room. The Henry’s three younger youngsters lived within the mansion eight years throughout Governor Henry’s time period.
Governor Mary Fallin designed and constructed an outside kitchen as her legacy present to the state.
“It’s a privilege to be there. What other families get to live in the governor’s mansion?”
Sharen Lenhart Polkinghorne has labored within the Governor’s mansion since 1980.
Polkinghorne was employed as a common caterer for 3 governors, later an Executive Assistant to First Lady Rhonda Walters and most lately she served on the Christmas adorning crew beneath Governor Mary Falling and Governor Kevin Stitt.
“It’s a part of Oklahoma,” Polkinghorne stated of the historic mansion. “I mean, we are pioneers. Everybody knows we are a people that we’re strong, and we built that mansion for the first family. It’s a privilege to be there.”
Last yr, the state accomplished a $2 million renovation of the historic mansion, together with a new roof, new home windows, new geothermal heating system, new kitchen and repairs for {the electrical}, plumbing and structural points.
According to the Office of Management Enterprise Services, the state poured $2,090,580 in taxpayer cash into a dwelling the place our governor doesn’t stay.
Nine months after Governor Stitt took workplace, he and First Lady Sarah Stitt referred to as a assembly with the previous first households.
The Stitts offered a multi-million dollar concept: to build a new governor’s mansion.
According to a number of sources within the room, the Governor introduced in a well-known fundraiser, a giant public relations agency and an architect.
They offered idea drawings and architectural sketches for a second mansion on the south facet of the grounds.
“Even if 100 percent of the funds are raised privately to build a new residence on the property, there’s going to be ongoing maintenance costs,” stated Dr. Steve Agee, professor of economics at Oklahoma City University’s Meinders School of Business.
The Stitts have been hoping for enthusiastic approval from the previous first households.
Instead, the room was quiet.
There was no help for his or her proposition.
One former first household raised issues about the price.
“So, if they’re going to raise $5 million or $6 million or $7 million for a new residence at the Governor’s mansion to build a new residence, then that opportunity to give to other organizations goes away for that amount of money,” stated Dr. Agee. “So I do think that the nonprofit community, if they don’t already know about it, will be a little bit surprised. I didn’t know about it and i was a little bit surprised.”
Without the blessing of the previous first households, the Stitts pushed on.
The non-profit group Friends of the Mansion has been quietly elevating capital for a new governor’s residence.
The Executive Director refused to present assembly agendas or minutes; News 4 obtained each, courting way back to 2019.
From these paperwork we will see, the finances is $6.5 million.
Friends of the Mansion has been accepting donations of up to $250,000 from foundations; up to $150,000 from people.
These contributions are un-trackable, personal cash solicited from rich people confidentially. Although Friends of the Mansion isn’t legally required to launch the record of donors, News 4 cited Governor Stitt’s earlier dedication to transparency and requested the record. Governor Stitt’s workplace and the Executive Director of Friends of the Mansion, each declined to present it.
“Who’s donating? What are they getting kickbacks on? I guarantee they are,” stated Republican State Representative Logan Phillips. “We have no bid contracts here, and the Governor is using this as a way to garner funds for himself or garner funds for his bank system. This is self-enrichment and self-dealing at its very core.”
The Governor’s Director of Communications Carly Atchison believes a new, personal residence might be a nice asset to the state.
She says this plan will “make the Governor’s mansion that much more accessible to the public.”
Future first households are welcome to stay within the historic mansion in the event that they select.
Atchison stated, “I think this is an amazing and thoughtful gift from the Governor and First Lady.”
The Communications Director denies the plans have been a secret.
However, each Atchison and First Lady’s Chief of Staff claimed to be unaware of the plan to build a new mansion once we first referred to as one week in the past on October 4th, 2022.
Additionally, in accordance to minutes from the May 2021 assembly, the President of the Board for Friends of the Mansion, “reminded board members to keep everything pertaining to the project confidential.”
We referred to as a dozen Republican lawmakers to ask for his or her ideas on the Governor’s plan to use personal funding to build a new personal mansion.
None of them have been conscious of the venture.
Only one agreed to remark on-the-record.
Most stated they feared retaliation from Governor Kevin Stitt.
“This is brand new information,” stated Logan Phillips. “At no point have we been told anything about building a new mansion.”
In reality, the Executive Director of the Friends of the Mansion requested board members to signal a non-disclosure settlement in February of 2020, to guarantee this plan to build a new personal governor’s mansion stayed beneath wraps.
“That is absolutely insane. It just shows exactly how out of touch this governor is with the current situation in Oklahoma,” Phillips stated. “We have schools that were held to 0% increase, and now he’s going to build a mansion because the mansion is not fancy enough for him. That is inappropriate.”
The Governor’s workplace tells us building on the new personal residence will start subsequent yr.
They say, they have been planning a formal, public rollout of the marketing campaign after the election.
The first ground of the mansion is presently open for excursions.
The First Lady hopes to develop the excursions to embrace each ground of the mansion, which is a handy choice, because the first household doesn’t stay within the residence.
One week after our preliminary request for information, the Executive Director of Friends of the Mansion confirmed the plan to build a new mansion with this assertion:
“Governor Stitt and First Lady Sarah Stitt have chosen to raise private funds for a new, family friendly residence that better accommodates families with young children, and those in need of ADA compliant facilities, and will allow the historic mansion to be more publicly accessible to the people of Oklahoma. No taxpayer funds are used for legacy gifts, as this is all run through Friends of the Mansion.”
KFOR would have most well-liked to discuss to the Governor on-camera.
We made that request a week in the past. We are nonetheless ready to hear again.
We first contacted a number of members of the Governor’s workers on Tuesday, October 4th.
News 4’s Ali Meyer reached out to the Governor’s Press Secretary, Kate Vesper, and Communications Director, Carly Atchison, by e-mail. That identical day, we referred to as and spoke to the First Lady’s Chief of Staff, Lauren Dunlap. Ali Meyer has had a number of textual content and e-mail exchanges with Atchison up to now week.
News 4 delayed the discharge of this report to enable the Governor’s communications workers the time to totally reply to all claims on this unique report.
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