WESTVILLE, Okla. — The crowd of poultry producers in the Baron Community Center on Jan. 15 left largely unsatisfied with Attorney General Gentner Drummond's explanations of his office's strategy in the 20-year lawsuit involving Tyson Foods.
"When I read that and when I hear that, it just automatically turns me off of wanting to listen to you," one farmer during the town hall hosted by Rep. David Hardin (R-Stilwell) said to the attorney general.
The hostile questioning turned to downright yelling at times, as the crowd grew increasingly frustrated and scared at the prospect of their contracts not being renewed by poultry corporations (integrators). Statements in paper flyers passed out by Drummond's staffers were also criticized.
"People are losing sleep over this," another farmer said. "People are talking about suicide and everything else because you're taking away our way of living if you take out the integrator...The facts don't seem to matter. You guys are just after big money!"
That complaint echoed Gov. Kevin Stitt's claims on Dec. 16 when he spoke to a Westville crowd, criticizing the attorney general for "siding with big trial attorneys."
- Previous coverage>>> Stitt: 'I am going to stand with our chicken producers over those big trial attorneys'
"Listen, his biggest contributors in his campaigns were Tyson and Simmons," Drummond told 2 News when asked about the governor's attacks. "So he's going to do what they want. I'm limiting the outside attorneys to 10% of any monetary recovery (in this lawsuit). They have a contract for 50 (percent). They'll agree to ten. That's not taking care of big trial attorneys. That's taking care of Oklahomans."
As for taking care of Oklahoma watersheds, Drummond told the poultry producers he anticipates Tyson settling and ending the lawsuit within the next month in light of George's, Inc., a smaller defendant in the suit, agreeing earlier in the week to a $5 million settlement.
No one in the crowd voiced approval of Drummond's actions in the lawsuit, nor did they say they were convinced he'll get Tyson to settle.
Simmons Foods external affairs director Mike Doublehead even spoke out from his seat during the meeting to criticize Drummond's reasoning.
"You've got to make a better environment for business than what we're seeing today," Doublehead told Drummond. "We welcome you to come back and negotiate a fair and - let me put this in quotations - reasonable settlement."
LuAnn Hays is one of those expressing extreme doubt. She told 2 News if Tyson doesn't renew its contract with her farm, her family will go bankrupt.
"(Drummond) said today that George's in their settlement (will pay) $5 million and that they were gonna reduce the number of litter that stays in the watershed," Hays said. "And he's telling me that those other integrators didn't jump on that immediately after what he's proposed by the judge? I don't buy it. I think he's lying."
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