Stitt puts up energy firm CEO to lead panel
Company accused of shorting Commissioners of the Land Office on royalties
The CEO of an oil and gas company that al legedly shorted the Oklahoma Commissioners of the Land Office on royalty payments is being recommended by Gov. Kevin Stitt to serve as the new head of that state agency.
Stitt is recommending that Elliot Chambers, CEO of White Star Petroleum Holdings LLC, be appointed as the new secretary of the Commissioners of the Land Office, an agency that manages public lands and a trust funds for the benefit of education.
A special CLO meeting is scheduled for 8 a.m. Tuesday to consider the appointment.
White Star Petroleum filed for bankruptcy in May 2019, listing the Commissioners of the Land Office among thousands of creditors.
When White Star sought permission through bankruptcy court to auction off its leases, an attorney for the CLO objected, stating White Star first needed to get written permission from the CLO and pay the royalty payments it had shorted the agency plus interest that had accrued.
Documents obtained from the CLO through an Open Records Act request show that the agency calculated the money it was owed to be $207,233.62 and noted that White Star had failed to include certain statutorily required details on its check detail report, forcing the agency to use estimates.
White Star challenged the amount but eventually agreed to pay a settlement amount of $176,148.57.
The CLO governing board approved that settlement in February but The Oklahoman checked with the CLO on Friday and was told the agency still hadn't received its money.
Asked for comment Friday, the governor' s communications director issued the following statement:
“White Star went through the same review process with the CLO Board that many companies do each year. White Star's decision to file bankruptcy was extensively investigated and no concerns were found. The White Star settlement was discussed, voted on and approved during the February CL O Board Meeting.
“The governor looks forward to presenting Elliot Chambers, who holds an MBA from NYU (New York University) and has over two decades of experience incorporate finance and management, as his recommendation to fill the Commission Secretary position at the upcoming board meeting on Tuesday, July 14.”
Efforts to reach Chambers for comment Friday were unsuccessful.
The CLO is governed by a five member board that includes the governor, Lt. Gov. Matt Pin ne ll, state schools Superintendent Joy Hofmeister, State Auditor Cindy Byrd and state Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur.
Chambers would fill the vacancy created when Stitt's previous pick for the secretary position, Brandt Vawter, stepped down.
Stitt appointed Vawter to the position of acting secretary with approval from the CLO board in June 2019, but Vawter lacked the required advanced degree to be approved as permanent secretary and resigned March 20.
The last permanent secretary of the CLO was Harry Bird well, who served the agency eight years before stepping down in June 2019.