Attorney General of Oklahoma
The 18th attorney general of Oklahoma was Mike Hunter, who assumed that post on February 20, 2017, serving until his resignation on June 1, 2021.Governor Mary Fallin appointed him to succeed Scott Pruitt who was nominated on December 7, 2016 by President-elect Donald Trump to be the next administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.As originally written, the Oklahoma Constitution placed no limits on the number of terms an individual could serve as attorney general.The Attorney General's duties include the following: One primary responsibility of the Attorney General is to appear before the Oklahoma Supreme Court or the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals and prosecute or defend all actions and proceedings, civil or criminal, in which the state is a party.Such questions may be submitted by the Legislature (or either branch thereof) or by any state officer, board, commission or department.Democratic Attorney General Charles R. Nesbitt and Republican Governor Henry Bellmon in 1963 was the first instance of this occurrence.On the other hand, legal opinions issued by the Attorney General are binding on the Governor until overturned by a court of law."I, ........., do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support, obey, and defend the Constitution of the United States, and the Constitution of the State of Oklahoma, and that I will not, knowingly, receive, directly or indirectly, any money or other valuable thing, for the performance or nonperformance of any act or duty pertaining to my office, other than the compensation allowed by law; I further swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully discharge my duties as Attorney General of the State of Oklahoma to the best of my ability."