She will of course be paying back the chair and asst. chair of her inaugural committee. Deby Snodgrass was the chairman of her Inaugural slush fund and will be named the new director of the Department of Tourism.
More controversial will be her appointment of Bud Elder, former assistant chair of her inaugural committee, who will be named as assistant director. This will be a newly created position.
Elder previously left employment with the state under a cloud which buzzed of abuse of state property and state time. Sources close to republican insiders indicate he was a ghost employee who was placed there for political connections.
Rumors that we are unable to verify include that he had abused state cell phones and eventually had it and his car taken away. Sources familiar with the Department of Human Services indicate he was suspected of using state property for personal use. Governor Fallin will follow the trail blazed by Doak in appointing two cronies to these positions. One position will be created and one or two could only assume a position of someone that actually works will be eliminated to pay for this political "payoff".
I recognize the name Deby Snodgrass, but can't remember from where. I believe she worked for Chesapeake Energy for a while and then, if I recall, she worked for Ackerman McQueen. If that is the case, you can rest assured that Ackerman will maintain the Tourism advertising contract. Slam-dunk for them and congrats.
I know Bud Elder from the WKY days when he and a lady friend ran an hour-long radio show on the weekends talking about movies.
If this is true, can it be construed as breaking a voter pledge? I don't know. That's for you to decide.
