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OKLAHOMA CITY — Seeking to “eliminate any distractions” from her public service, the governor’s tourism secretary Shelley Zumwalt has withdrawn from her Cabinet position but will continue as a state agency director.
Zumwalt has led the Oklahoma Department of Tourism and Recreation since October 2022. Gov. Kevin Stitt appointed her in January to be his Cabinet secretary of tourism, wildlife and heritage.
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In a letter sent Friday to the leader of the state Senate, Stitt withdrew her nomination for the secretary role, removing her from the Senate confirmation process.
Zumwalt said it had been a “distinct honor” to serve on the governor’s Cabinet, if only for a brief time. Both she and the governor have said her withdrawal was a voluntary decision by Zumwalt, who has faced recent calls for resignation.
“The sole reason for this decision is to eliminate any distractions from my service to Oklahomans,” Zumwalt said in a statement. “While difficult, this decision will allow me to concentrate on my position as executive director of (the Tourism Department) and to continue my service to our state as I have done for the past 12 years.”
Zumwalt was one of multiple state agency directors also serving as Cabinet secretaries.
A legally binding opinion from Attorney General Gentner Drummond scrutinized dual office-holding and raised doubts about the agency heads’ ability to continue on the Cabinet.
Stitt, Zumwalt, Department of Agriculture director Blayne Arthur and Department of Human Services director Dr. Deborah Shropshire sued Drummond to challenge the opinion. Arthur and Shropshire have not stepped down from the Cabinet.
However, Department of Transportation director Tim Gatz and Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell resigned from their Cabinet roles under similar circumstances.
Zumwalt came under fire from the attorney general again on Tuesday when a state audit raised conflict of interest concerns from her time at the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission.
State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd said Zumwalt, who led OESC from 2020 to 2022, approved $8.5 million in change order payments for a software vendor where her husband is vice president. The software company was hired on a no-bid contract to improve the agency’s computer network mainframe.
Drummond called for Zumwalt’s resignation, saying the audit findings revealed an “unforgivable breach of trust.”
“I commend Gov. Stitt for withdrawing the nomination of Ms. Zumwalt, who should not be allowed to serve in any leadership position that oversees the expenditure of our tax dollars,” Drummond said on Monday.
Zumwalt said she would not resign from state government and refuted any conflict of interest accusation. She said she disclosed her connection to the vendor before she was hired at OESC and was told it wouldn’t be an issue. Her husband isn’t an owner of the company and never did any work with the state, she said.
Stitt called the audit “unfair” and a politically motivated attack. He said Zumwalt should stay as director of the Tourism Department, but he mentioned she offered to step down as tourism secretary.
“She said, ‘Hey, I don’t need to be in the limelight here. If I’m causing this administration any problems, I’ll just step down as secretary and focus on tourism,’” he told news reporters on Friday. “And so that may be what happens.”
Oklahoma Voice is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Oklahoma Voice maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Janelle Stecklein for questions: [email protected]. Follow Oklahoma Voice on Facebook and Twitter.
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