News — East Oklahoma The latest breaking news and local reporting from across eastern Oklahoma. EastOklahoma.com covers the stories shaping communities throughout Green Country — from Tulsa, Broken Arrow, and Muskogee to Tahlequah, McAlester, Sallisaw, and every corner of the region.
Sallisaw
The $0 Campaign: Sean Buckner's Senate Bid Raises Questions About Intent A candidate with a documented history of unpaid obligations launches a campaign that has yet to raise a single dollar When William Sean Buckner filed paperwork on March 16, 2026, to run as a Republican challenger for
Tulsa
The Stitt Doctrine: How Oklahoma's Governor Built a Policy Machine That Targets the State's Most Vulnerable An investigation into seven years of systematic cuts to programs serving low-income families The Weatherization Paradox On a May morning in 2026, Gov. Kevin Stitt stood before cameras to
Tulsa
The Trust Deficit: Can Oklahomans Believe Kevin Stitt's Data Center Promises When Todd Hiett Still Votes on Their Energy Bills? An investigation into Oklahoma's data center boom, rising electricity costs, and the scandal-plagued regulator who controls your power bill The Promise On May 11, 2026,
Politics
A little-known bill quietly died in committee this spring. What it reveals about who really controls Oklahoma's deer—and the $200 million industry built around them. OKLAHOMA CITY — On a legislative calendar packed with debates over education funding and tax cuts, Senate Bill 1074 slipped through the
Crimes
An eight-year scheme of fraud, luxury gambling, and broken trust in Indian Country Michael Anthony Houser appeared to be living the American dream. The 36-year-old accountant from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, had climbed the corporate ladder at one of the most successful tribal gaming enterprises in the nation.
Government Corruption
How Oklahoma's Cash Bail System Imprisons the Innocent An Investigation into America's Highest Incarceration Rate On any given morning in Oklahoma, more than 9,000 people wake up behind bars who have never been convicted of a crime. They are legally innocent—presumed so by the
Vian
How Vian's Culture of Political Protection Shielded Joshua Smith—Until Federal Prison A Follow-Up Investigation When Joshua Smith was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for the aggravated sexual abuse of a child, the national media focused on the crime itself—as they should have. A
Tulsa
A comprehensive investigation into Governor Kevin Stitt's controversial midnight veto and the cascade of corruption allegations that defined his tenure On a late spring night in May 2025, as most Oklahomans slept, Governor Kevin Stitt made a decision that would crystallize his administration's troubled relationship with
Muskogee
Matt Muskrat's call to clean up local government raises questions about his own history A candidate with 2008 felony charges positions himself as the answer to corruption MUSKOGEE COUNTY, OK — Matt N Anna Muskrat has a message for Muskogee County voters: "DRAIN THE SWAMP!!!!!" The candidate
Feature Story
PAWHUSKA, OKLAHOMA — In September 2024, local rancher Bud Beaston sent a registered letter detailing allegations of corruption in Osage County to Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, Governor Kevin Stitt, the U.S. Department of Justice, and thirty media outlets across the state. Only one reporter responded. The allegations involve a