Two veterans in Oklahoma are suing the state. Larry van Schuyver and General Paul Costilow say the way Governor Kevin Stitt fired them from the Department of Veterans Affairs' controlling board violated the First Amendment.
Van Schuyver and Costilow say they feel being fired was their punishment for supporting Stitt's opponent Joel Kinstel in the primaries.
"A lot of the end goal for me is to put the Governor in his place," Van Schuyver said. "We want to make it a fair process for appointing commissioners. What I'm trying to do is right a wrong that has been imposed on our veterans."
The former chairman recalls when he fought for his First Amendment rights.
"To be able to make your own argument and not suffer retaliation from that. Unfortunately, we're dealing with a Governor who is a 'my way, or the highway' [type of leader]. He appoints people without due process."
He says his support for former candidate Kinstel wasn't political.
"I spoke as a citizen of the United States, not as a State Commander of the Purple Heart and not as commissioner. People put that title on you, but I have the same free speech as a commissioner as you do. I never went to a center and said, 'Vote for this person.' I supported the other person because I knew how he took care of veterans."
Attorney Mark Hammons is representing the two veterans.
"They were fired not because they were doing a bad job, and not because they are failing to represent veterans," Hammons said. "It was other veterans who elected them as the commission chair and vice chair."
Reportedly, the veterans were fired because of how they expressed themselves.
"They just didn't support Stitt, and Stitt doesn't care whether they're doing a good job. He just cares whether they support him or not."
Carly Atchison with Governor Stitt's office sent Fox 25 the following statement:
"Larry van Schuyver and Paul Costilow are telling the media that they are still Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Veteran’s Commission because they identify as Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Veteran’s Commission, but that’s not how it works in the real world and their current stance is not based in fact or law. They were removed because they committed an egregious breach of trust and have since been replaced."
Van Schuyver and Hammons claim Governor Stitt wants to privatize Oklahoma's veterans homes.
"The Governor has never directed privatization," Atchison said. "That argument is a 'smoke screen.”
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