STILLWATER, Okla., (The Oklahoma Post) – Aug 21st, 2025
When Charles McCall posed for cameras with Education Secretary Linda McMahon Tuesday, the struggling gubernatorial candidate desperately needed good press. What he got instead was another reminder that timing in politics can be everything; and his couldn’t be worse.
Just hours after McCall’s campaign trumpeted his meeting with President Trump’s Education Secretary, sources confirmed the former Oklahoma House Speaker remains named in a citizen grand jury petition filed in Payne County. The petition, designated as case GJ-2025-1, alleges McCall and other high-ranking officials “committed or facilitated crimes including falsification of court records, fraud upon the court, obstruction of justice, and racketeering” in connection with Oklahoma’s troubled child welfare system.
McCall’s Tuesday press release reads like a masterclass in campaign deflection. “It was an honor to be invited by Governor Stitt to welcome President Trump’s Secretary of Education, Linda McMahon to Oklahoma,” McCall gushed, immediately establishing his proximity to power while discussing “bold solutions for Oklahoma’s education system.”
Lost in the flowery language about “education freedom” and “empowering parents” is any mention of the serious allegations hanging over his head. The former Speaker promises to “hold the system accountable, ” a pledge that rings hollow when he himself faces accusations of systemic misconduct.
The irony is thick enough to cut with a knife: a candidate promising accountability while dodging questions about his own alleged participation in the very corruption he claims to oppose.
Campaign in Crisis Mode
The desperation behind Tuesday’s photo-op becomes clearer when you examine McCall’s electoral prospects. Early polling shows primary frontrunner Attorney General Gentner Drummond with a commanding 49% favorability rating among Republicans, while McCall languishes at 30%. Some recent surveys put him as low as 5%; political death valley territory.
McCall’s super PAC has already committed $1.6 million to an eight-week advertising blitz, suggesting his campaign recognizes the uphill battle ahead. When you’re burning through cash that fast this early, you’re not running a confident frontrunner’s campaign; maybe you’re trying to stop the bleeding.
Legal Jeopardy Meets Political Reality
Here’s where the story gets really interesting: Attorney General Gentner Drummond- McCall’s primary opponent and the man crushing him in polls has assumed oversight of the investigation into the grand jury petition that names McCall.
In the legal world, we call this a conflict of interest. In the political world, we call it beautiful irony.
The Payne County petition alleges systemic corruption within Oklahoma’s child welfare system, naming McCall alongside other high-profile officials including Justice Dustin P. Rowe and current House Speaker Kyle Hilbert. The petition specifically targets officials who allegedly participated in “falsification of court records” and “obstruction of justice.”
McCall’s campaign has maintained radio silence about the grand jury petition, apparently hoping voters won’t notice the elephant in the room. That’s not exactly the transparency you’d expect from someone promising to “hold the system accountable.”
The Trump Card
McCall’s strategy is transparent: wrap himself in Trump’s coat-tails and hope Oklahoma voters ignore everything else. His press release reads like a love letter to the former president, with McCall declaring, “I truly believe God put President Trump back in the White House to save our great country.”
During his record-setting tenure as Speaker from 2017 to 2024, McCall did deliver some legitimate accomplishments, including teacher pay raises and education reforms. But those achievements came amid intense political battles with the Senate and questions about his leadership style.
Now, facing a grand jury petition and dismal polling numbers, McCall is betting everything on Trump’s endorsement power. It’s a Hail Mary play from a candidate who’s running out of options and time.
Did we mention that two other federal lawsuits have now been filed over these same issues, and Moyer v. Murray is already at appeal? That leaves Oklahoma in the bizarre position where Attorney General Gentner Drummond, himself accused of corruption in federal court, is simultaneously tasked with overseeing grand jury investigations into corruption. It is a political and legal mess of the highest order, raising the question: how can the state’s top law enforcement officer credibly investigate others when he stands accused of the very same misconduct?
Bottom Line
Charles McCall wants to be governor, but he’s got problems that photo-ops with Trump cabinet members can’t solve. When you’re facing allegations of corruption while promising to fight corruption, when your primary opponent is investigating you, and when you’re polling in single digits despite burning through campaign cash; well, that’s what we in the legal profession call a losing hand.
The 2026 Republican primary is still months away, giving McCall time to address these issues. But based on his campaign’s silence about the grand jury petition and reliance on Trump association, it appears his strategy is to hope voters don’t connect the dots.
In Oklahoma politics, that might just work. But it shouldn’t.
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And for the record: unlike the courthouse clique, The Oklahoma Post runs on facts, not dark money.
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