Stitt taps Tulsa man for AG despite ‘not qualified’ rating

Oklahoma AG John O'Connor

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt is appointing a Tulsa man to be the state’s next attorney general, despite his rating as ‘not qualified’ to serve as a federal judge. Stitt named 66-year-old John O’Connor to the post on Friday after a two-month search.

O’Connor fills a vacancy left in May when former Attorney General Mike Hunter stepped down suddenly, citing a concern that personal issues would become a distraction to the office. The Oklahoman newspaper reported Hunter was involved in an extramarital affair with a state employee.

The appointment gives Stitt an ally in his increasingly contentious relationship with some Native American tribes in the state.

O’Connor was nominated for a federal judgeship in 2018 by the previous President. However, he failed to advance after the American Bar Association determined he wasn’t qualified to serve.