Oklahoma Watch reports Treasurer’s Office lacked authorization for commuting use of state-owned vehicle
State Treasurer Todd Russ is facing questions over his use of a state-owned SUV after Oklahoma Watch reported the vehicle made hundreds of trips between a state office in Clinton and the Capitol while the Treasurer’s Office lacked authorization for commuting use of a state vehicle.
According to Oklahoma Watch, GPS logs from a 2024 Ford Expedition assigned to the Treasurer’s Office show more than 960 trips over the past year, including frequent travel between Oklahoma City and the agency’s unclaimed-property satellite office in Clinton.
The vehicle accumulated more than 26,000 miles during that period and was tied to more than $3,700 in fuel purchases, many of them at locations along Interstate 40 between Clinton and Oklahoma City.
The report focuses on a travel arrangement in which Russ, who lives near Cordell, regularly travels to the Treasurer’s Office’s Clinton unclaimed-property office before driving the state-owned vehicle to Oklahoma City. Clinton is about 85 miles west of the Capitol, while Cordell is approximately 15 miles south of Clinton.
The most significant finding in Oklahoma Watch’s reporting involves state policy governing government vehicles. State law requires authorization from the Office of Management and Enterprise Services for commuting use of a state vehicle, OMES told reporters the Treasurer’s Office did not have such authorization.
Russ’ office did not directly address questions about the vehicle’s use. In a written statement provided to Oklahoma Watch, Treasurer’s Office spokeswoman Lara Blubaugh said the office has a single fleet vehicle that supports operations in multiple locations across the state.
“The treasurer’s office has one fleet vehicle assigned to it, which supports four offices around the state that provide localized services to citizens, similar to other constitutional offices and statewide elected officials,” Blubaugh said. “The vehicle is used by the treasurer and staff to access each of those sites as part of the constitutional duties of the office.”
Russ said he opened the Clinton satellite office in June 2025 as part of an effort to provide unclaimed-property services outside Oklahoma City. A second satellite office opened in Muskogee later that year. Oklahoma Watch reported that the Treasurer’s Office pays $1,300 per month to lease the Clinton office and $600 per month for the Muskogee location.
Oklahoma Watch also reported that GPS data showed the vehicle exceeded 90 miles per hour on more than 100 trips, though a review of Oklahoma Highway Patrol records found no tickets associated with the SUV.
The story lands less than two weeks before the June 16 Republican primary, where Russ faces a challenge from term-limited State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd.
Byrd told Oklahoma Watch she sought legal guidance when taking office and was advised that state law did not permit her to use a state-owned vehicle for commuting.
“When I took office in 2019, I asked my general counsel at the attorney general’s office whether I could use a state-owned vehicle for the 120-mile commute between the Capitol and my home in Coalgate,” Byrd said. “I was told state statute did not allow for this. As state auditor, I have never used a state-owned vehicle.”
The latest report adds to a series of questions surrounding Russ’ tenure as treasurer, including scrutiny of the Invest in Oklahoma program and the state’s investment-adviser selection process.
The issue also emerges as Russ faces unusual opposition from former holders of the office. Former state treasurers Scott Meacham and Ken Miller publicly endorsed Byrd and hosted a fundraising event for her last month, breaking with the tradition of former officeholders remaining neutral in contested primaries for the office. The two former treasurers said their support for Byrd reflected concerns about the direction and management of the office.
Russ was first elected state treasurer in 2022 and is seeking a second term.
This story is based on reporting by Oklahoma Watch.
