OKLAHOMA CITY — The head of the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs on Friday refused to attend the governing board’s meeting, saying the panel and meeting were illegal.
It is the latest in an ongoing dispute between Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs Executive Director Joel Kintsel, the Oklahoma Veterans Commission, which is the agency’s governing board, and Gov. Kevin Stitt.
Kintsel has alleged Stitt has been replacing board members in hopes of getting him fired for running against Stitt in the gubernatorial primary.
A prior board gave Kintsel a leave of absence to run. Stitt defeated Kintsel in last year’s Republican primary.
The board met anyway Friday to discuss the need for a $21 million change order on a new $77 million veterans’ facility under construction in Sallisaw. The $21 million in damages were caused by a contractor who did not complete work, Kintsel said.
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In a letter to commission chairman Rob Allen, whom Stitt appointed, Kintsel said, at least three members of the commission, including Allen, are not lawfully appointed.
“The veteran service organizations that you and at least two other ‘commissioners’ purport to represent have not nominated you and none of you were active members of, or in most cases, even members of the veteran service organizations you are now allegedly representing,” Kintsel wrote.
The governing board has nine members, all appointed by the governor, and members serve at the pleasure of the governor. They hire and fire the executive director.
The governor can appoint three of the members at large. The other six seats, however, are to be represented by the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Disabled American Veterans, the Paralyzed Veterans of America, the Military Order of the Purple Heart and the National Guard Association of Oklahoma.
State law requires that at least one Vietnam veteran be on the commission, Kintsel wrote.
“As all Vietnam veterans serving on the Commission have been terminated, the Oklahoma Veterans Commission is not now legally constituted in this aspect either,” Kintsel wrote.
Kintel told Allen that the panel should not elect officers, set meetings, conduct meetings or vote, which could create potential liability for the state and taxpayers.
Because the panel is not legally constituted, Kintsel said he would not attend Friday nor participate in any future attempts to meet and conduct business as the Oklahoma Veterans Commission.
In a written response, Allen said he disagreed with Kintsel’s position. Kintsel provided Allen’s response.
“The public deserves to know about the impending fiscal emergency on the Sallisaw construction project, and we intend to bring all information to light,” Allen wrote.
Stitt’s office declined to comment.
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