OMES Director says departure not tied to Drummond letter after resignation

Office of Management and Enterprise Services Director Rick Rose sat down with Scott Mitchell in his first interview since announcing his resignation, responding to Attorney General Gentner Drummond’s claims that his departure was tied to a letter alleging improper conduct.

Related: Oklahoma Secretary of State, other top officials announce resignation

Rose announced his resignation last week, with Gov. Kevin Stitt saying his last day would be Sept. 26, 2025. Rose's departure came the same week as resignations from Secretary of State Josh Cockroft, Deputy Secretary of State Nitasha Rose, and EDGE Executive Director Evan Brown.

Drummond's Sept. 8 letter accused Rose of blocking vehicle purchases for task forces targeting illegal marijuana grows, calling it "improper conduct."

Related: Oklahoma AG Drummond says letter on OMES Director’s ‘Improper Conduct’ preceded resignation

Here's a breakdown of the full interview:

Did Rick Rose resign because of Drummond’s letter?

Rose said his resignation was unrelated to Attorney General Gentner Drummond's misconduct claims. Rose told Mitchell the decision came after discussions with his family and a desire to return to private practice.

"My departure has everything to do with discussions with my family and with me going to the practice of law and practicing attorney for over 20 years," Rose said. "It's me going back to the firm that I love."

Why did Rose question staffing at the attorney general's office?

Rose said that his office requested information from multiple agencies experiencing growth, including the AG's office, which he said nearly doubled its staff and payroll since 2023. Rose framed it as standard oversight of taxpayer money.

"Part of my role is to provide oversight, and keeping my oversight when we're talking about taxpayer money is not optional," Rose said. "The legislature also does a good job, but when legislature is not in session, that's part of my role."

Did Rose deny the AG's request for vehicles?

Rose said he never denied the request for 10 new vehicles, but asked for more information first. Rose said that other agencies usually replace one or two vehicles, not request a large increase.

"I have not denied his request," Rose said. "I said, 'Hey, we have these staffing level changes. We have these payroll changes that are nearly doubled. I need more information."

Was this dispute political?

Rose rejected the claim that his actions were politically motivated or directed by the governor. Rose said the decision was his alone and focused on accountability.

"I can tell you this decision was mine," Rose said. "It's very important to [the governor] that taxpayer dollars are spent correctly. It's very important to him that we don't let government grow out of control, that we slow the growth of government and shrink government where we can."