Gov. Kevin Stitt is pushing back after a multicounty grand jury report suggested he used his influence to help the wife of a political ally avoid prison time.
The controversy centers on Sara Polston, who was sentenced to eight years in prison after a DUI crash that nearly killed a 20-year-old woman. Despite the sentence, Polston was released to house arrest after serving just 73 days in prison.
Newly released audio aired Friday appears to capture Sara’s husband, tax attorney Rod Polston, discussing conversations with the governor about a possible pardon. The clip in the video was one of a couple of dozen made available by the state attorney general’s office.
What those files did not contain was Stitt himself saying anything, nor did the grand jury accuse the governor of committing a crime.
In fact, the grand jury specifically stated it did “not find that a crime was committed,” nor did it find “willful or corrupt misconduct or willful malfeasance of any public officer.”
Still, jurors concluded there was improper political influence surrounding Polston’s transfer from prison to the Department of Corrections’ GPS monitoring program.
According to reporting from The Oklahoman, the grand jury found that DOC leadership believed helping Sara Polston “would please their boss, the Governor.”
The report also stated:
“Governor Stitt made multiple calls to DOC Interim Director Justin Farris on behalf of the Polstons.”
Jurors added that Stitt’s chief of staff, Donelle Harder, contacted DOC officials about Sara Polston even before she was sentenced.
The grand jury ultimately called the situation “reprehensible,” while also sharply criticizing the DOC’s GPS release program itself.
“Citizens deserve an even playing field irrespective of wealth, social status, and political connections,” the report stated.
The governor’s office blasted the investigation Friday, accusing Attorney General Gentner Drummond of weaponizing the grand jury process for political purposes.
“This is an improper, politically motivated use of the grand jury process,” a spokesperson for Stitt said in a statement. “If the attorney general was convinced of criminal intent, he would have filed charges.”
Drummond responded by praising the grand jury’s work and saying Oklahomans deserve “a criminal justice system that is fair and impartial.”
The case is also drawing renewed attention to the relationship between the Polstons and the governor. Reporting from The Frontier noted that Rod and Sara Polston hosted a fundraiser for Stitt in 2022. NonDoc also published details on Friday outlining the longtime connection between the Polstons and the governor’s political circle.
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