The People’s Covenant to Oklahoma

It’s a WE Thing, Not a ME Thing.

For too long, Oklahoma government has been driven by political parties, special interests, lobbyists, and career politicians instead of the people government was created to serve.

The Farmer Servant Movement is built on a simple belief:

Government Belongs to the People.

These covenants are the standards by which I am asking Oklahomans to judge me—not only during an election, but if you give me the privilege of serving as your Governor.

And these Covenants can grow. When an Oklahoman brings us a good idea for making government more accountable to the people, we will listen.

Because this isn’t supposed to be my government. It’s our government.

COVENANT #1: LET THE PEOPLE DECIDE

Your Voice Shouldn’t End on Election Day.

For generations, representative government required citizens to elect someone and then hope that person continued representing them after arriving at the Capitol.

Technology gives us an opportunity to do something more.

Through the People’s App, we will create a system that allows registered Oklahoma voters to provide their input on important issues facing our state.

Before I make major decisions as Governor, whenever practical and lawful, I want to know:

What do the people of Oklahoma think?

The People’s App can give Oklahomans a voice on major legislation, significant state projects, appointments, pardons and clemency decisions, and other important matters affecting our state.

The People’s App does not eliminate our Constitution or our representative institutions. It gives the Governor another powerful tool:

The voice of the people.

MY COVENANT:
I will ask the people before making major decisions whenever practical and lawful. Your voice shouldn’t end when you leave the voting booth.

COVENANT #2: LET THE PEOPLE SEE

Government Shouldn’t Be Afraid of the People Looking Inside.

Trust begins with transparency.

Through the People’s Table, Oklahomans will have greater access to government information, proposals, reports, audits, spending, performance information, and the decision-making process.

I want people to be able to see what their government is doing with their money and their authority.

That means making government information easier to find and easier to understand. It means shining light on contracts, spending, decisions, performance, and results.

The information belongs to the people because the government belongs to the people.

MY COVENANT:
We will open the doors, open the books, and give Oklahomans the tools to see what their government is doing.
LET THE PEOPLE SEE.

COVENANT #3: PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF EVERY OKLAHOMAN

Rights Don’t Belong to Political Parties.

The Constitution protects the people — not political parties.

As Governor, one of my greatest responsibilities will be protecting the constitutional and civil rights of every Oklahoman—even when doing so is politically inconvenient.

Government should never become so powerful that an individual’s rights depend upon which political party controls the Capitol.

MY COVENANT:
I will defend the constitutional and civil rights of every Oklahoman fairly and equally.

You don’t have to agree with me to deserve your constitutional rights. You don’t have to vote for me. You don’t have to belong to my political party—because I don’t have one.

Constitutional rights belong to the people.

COVENANT #4: WEED OUT CORRUPTION, WASTE, FRAUD, AND ABUSE

Follow the Money.

Every dollar government wastes is a dollar that came from somebody who worked for it.

Oklahomans deserve to know where their money goes, who benefits from government decisions, and whether taxpayers are receiving what they were promised.

Our administration will aggressively look for corruption, unnecessary government waste, fraud, abuse of authority, questionable contracts, and programs that aren’t producing results.

And we won’t care which political party is responsible.

MY COVENANT:
We will weed out corruption, waste, fraud, and abuse wherever we find it—regardless of political party, position, wealth, or influence.

Government works for the people. It’s time we start auditing it that way.

COVENANT #5: THE PEOPLE’S LIE DETECTOR

Don’t Ask Politicians What Happened. Let the People See What Happened.

This idea came from an Oklahoman who challenged me with an interesting idea: government officials should be willing to submit to lie-detector tests concerning actions they take while exercising governmental authority.

I understood what he was trying to accomplish — hold elected officials to a higher standard.

But rather than depending upon a polygraph afterward, I believe we can create something more useful:

TURN ON THE CAMERAS.

As Governor, I will permit at least four independent media organizations to maintain ongoing camera, audio, and digital recording access to my official governmental activities, to the fullest extent permitted by law.

The resulting public record becomes:

THE PEOPLE’S LIE DETECTOR.

When controversy arises, instead of asking “Which politician is telling the truth?” let’s ask:

“What does the record show?”

There will be narrow circumstances when recording cannot occur, including:

• privacy rights of private citizens
• children, victims, patients, and protected individuals
• information made confidential by law
• attorney-client privileged communications
• legitimate personnel matters
• active investigations
• security or public-safety matters
• court-ordered confidentiality

But one exception will never be recognized:

POLITICAL EMBARRASSMENT.

MY COVENANT:
When I am exercising the people’s authority, I will accept an extraordinary level of public scrutiny. Private life is private. Public business is public.

Scrutiny belongs to the government.

COVENANT #6: THE GOVERNOR GOES FIRST

Accountability Starts at the Top.

Government officials routinely establish standards that ordinary working people are expected to follow. Someone entrusted with the authority of Governor should accept a high standard of accountability too.

As Governor, I voluntarily commit to independently administered random drug and alcohol testing throughout my term in office.

The Governor will not decide when the tests happen. The Governor’s staff will not decide when the tests happen.

Public power brings public accountability.

MY COVENANT:
I will never establish a standard of accountability for Oklahoma’s public servants and then declare myself exempt from accountability.

Accountability starts at the top. The Governor goes first.

COVENANT #7: KEEP THE CAMERAS ON US

A Public Record From Day One.

From my first day in office, I commit to allowing a documentary film crew to accompany me throughout my administration and document my work as Governor.

The crew will maintain a dated log of my official activities and record meetings, government business, and decision-making.

All footage documenting that work will be made available in a searchable online archive, alongside my government-related phone calls, text messages, emails, and other official communications.

The archive will preserve full recordings, rather than only selected highlights, so the public can examine the context and hold me accountable throughout my term and at the next election.

My personal life will remain private. Legally protected information, confidential personal records, and sensitive security matters will require appropriate safeguards. Any necessary withholding, redaction, or release delay will be documented and explained to the extent permitted by law.

Accountability requires a record people can examine.

When allegations of misconduct arise, the public deserves documentation showing what officials knew, when they knew it, and what they did in response. Recording my administration’s work will help preserve that evidence. It will support investigations, not replace them.

The allegations involving John Waldron illustrate why those questions matter. I am asking Cyndi Munson and other responsible officials to provide a documented account of how those allegations were handled: Were they referred for an official investigation? To which authority? What action was taken, and what findings can legally be released?

I am willing to put my own government conduct on the record. I challenge every candidate to make an equally clear commitment to transparency and accountability.

MY COVENANT:
I will create and preserve the most comprehensive public record of a Governor’s administration in Oklahoma history, subject only to lawful privacy, security, and confidentiality protections.

It’s a WE thing, not a ME thing.

COVENANT #8: EQUAL ACCOUNTABILITY, NO EXCEPTIONS

As Governor, I will call for independent investigations of credible allegations of wrongdoing, regardless of race, religion, color, creed, sexual orientation, or political affiliation. The same standard must apply to everyone.

That includes demanding full accountability for the John Waldron scandal and examining how Cindy Munson and Oklahoma Democratic Party leadership handled it.

We will call for a full investigation and a public report establishing:

• A complete timeline: who knew, what they knew, and when they knew it.
• What actions leaders took, what they failed to do, and why.
• Whether information was concealed, complaints were disregarded, or accountability was delayed.
• What the public was told and whether relevant information was withheld.
• Whether Waldron continued receiving public pay through October 1, and the legal and administrative basis for those payments.

We will also call for an independent examination of allegations of embezzlement within the Oklahoma Democratic Party, following the financial records wherever they lead.

The people deserve facts, a full timeline, and accountability.

Findings should be released to the fullest extent allowed by law, protecting victims’ privacy and everyone’s right to due process.

No political party gets a pass. No accusation substitutes for evidence. Anyone found responsible must face the appropriate consequences.

MY COVENANT:
I will pursue accountability using the same standard for everyone and support independent investigations wherever credible evidence justifies them.

It’s a WE thing, not a ME thing.

Eight Covenants. One Commitment.

• LET THE PEOPLE DECIDE. Give Oklahomans a voice.
• LET THE PEOPLE SEE. Open the doors and the books.
• PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF EVERY OKLAHOMAN.
• WEED OUT CORRUPTION, WASTE, FRAUD, AND ABUSE.
• THE PEOPLE’S LIE DETECTOR.
• THE GOVERNOR GOES FIRST.
• KEEP THE CAMERAS ON US.
• EQUAL ACCOUNTABILITY, NO EXCEPTIONS. The same standard for everyone.

These covenants are not campaign slogans. They are written commitments by which you can judge me before, during, and after an election.

If an Oklahoman brings forward another reasonable, constitutional idea that can make elected officials more accountable, I want to hear it.

Government belongs to the people.

It’s a WE thing, not a ME thing.

Robert E. Brooks
Independent Candidate for Governor of Oklahoma