{"id":752314,"date":"2025-10-31T06:01:00","date_gmt":"2025-10-31T11:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/?p=752314"},"modified":"2025-10-30T13:45:28","modified_gmt":"2025-10-30T18:45:28","slug":"harpe-takes-job-with-private-contractor-testing-state-law","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2025\/10\/31\/harpe-takes-job-with-private-contractor-testing-state-law\/","title":{"rendered":"Former Corrections Director Approved Million Dollar Deal With AI Company, Then Went to Work For Them"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"wp-block-custom-everlit-iframe-embed\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Everlit Audio Player\" src=\"https:\/\/everlit.audio\/embeds\/artl_zPrG2c56wMQ?client=wp&amp;client_version=2.6.0\" width=\"100%\" height=\"80px\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen=\"\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n\n\n<p>Former Oklahoma Department of Corrections Director Steven Harpe approved a million-dollar deal with a private vendor in early April to install AI call monitoring software in seven state prisons.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Months later, he resigned from state service and took a job with that company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On Oct. 3, Harpe <a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/posts\/steven-harpe-38690678_im-happy-to-share-that-im-starting-a-new-activity-7379626635702038528-Z2C8\/?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=member_desktop&amp;rcm=ACoAABYlm9oB3dUGKq3DeAGSLj-oou8xovoQj_w\">posted on LinkedIn<\/a> that he had accepted the position of chief product officer at <a href=\"https:\/\/leotechnologies.com\/\">LEO Technologies<\/a>, an Austin, Texas-based artificial intelligence company that caters to law enforcement and corrections officials. More than 80 people, including two Board of Corrections members, responded to the post wishing Harpe congratulations. Harpe also <a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/share\/17euKFzFdY\/\">shared news of the job change<\/a> on Facebook.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Six months earlier, on April 3, Harpe authorized a <a href=\"https:\/\/drive.google.com\/file\/d\/1zEM9683HMgS4dFVmWlOclBaGlP1YR2rC\/view?usp=sharing\">one-year, $1.017 million <\/a>deal with LEO Technologies. Agency officials gave final approval to the contract, which includes four one-year renewal options, on April 8.\u00a0The contract stipulates that LeoTech will \u201cassign designated personnel to support Oklahoma DOC operations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Harpe announced his resignation in late August, effective Sept. 30. The <a href=\"https:\/\/oklahoma.gov\/doc\/newsroom\/2025\/odoc-director-steven-harpe-to-resign-sept--30.html\">announcement<\/a> stated that he was leaving state service to rejoin the private sector but did not specify which company. Typically, if the company is in business with the state, such a move would require a one-year cooling off period.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/law.justia.com\/codes\/oklahoma\/title-74\/section-74-590\/\">Oklahoma statutes<\/a> stipulate that a state officer or employee who exercises discretion or decision-making authority in awarding a privatization contract is prohibited from becoming an employee of that business or organization within one year of the contract award date. Penalties for violating the statute include the cancellation of contracts and a temporary prohibition on doing business with the state.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Legislature passed the law in 1999 to stop a revolving door of state officials leaving to work for private vendors. In 2009, lawmakers updated the statute to include sanctions for businesses that hire an involved state employee.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Lee Ann Bruce Boone, executive director of the Oklahoma Ethics Commission, said enforcement of the statute likely falls with the attorney general\u2019s office. Leslie Berger, a spokesperson for the attorney general\u2019s office, declined to comment on whether the matter is under investigation, citing an internal agency policy.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Abegail Cave, director of communications for Gov. Kevin Stitt, said people within the governor\u2019s office were unaware of Harpe\u2019s employment plans upon leaving state service. She declined to comment on the law requiring a cooling off period. Harpe was the second Department of Corrections director appointed by Stitt <a href=\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2024\/01\/02\/turnover-scandals-have-some-lawmakers-rethinking-governors-power-boost\/\">following a 2019 law change<\/a> that transferred power to appoint the agency\u2019s director from the Board of Corrections to the governor\u2019s office.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bob Burke, an Oklahoma City-based attorney and historian, said Harpe\u2019s signature on the contract should concern taxpayers.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a sad day in this state when directors of agencies even recommend the award of a contract and months later go to work for that same company,\u201d Burke said. \u201cThe appearance stinks. That kind of self-dealing should be frowned upon by the people and by the governor and legislative leaders who appoint members to the Board of Corrections.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Harpe did not respond to phone calls, a text message or an email seeking comment. LEO Technologies did not respond to a phone call or written inquiry.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Harpe, who worked as the chief information officer for Gov. Kevin Stitt\u2019s Gateway Mortgage Group prior to entering state government in 2019, regularly promoted the Department of Corrections\u2019 artificial intelligence initiatives in media interviews and at out-of-state conferences.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In July, he traveled to Washington, D.C., to represent the American Correctional Association at a congressional briefing on AI in public safety. At the hearing, Harpe touted broad AI implementation efforts within the Department of Corrections.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhat if I was able to take that labor and instead of using people to do it, I was using facial recognition AI, not just one time, but use it all the time,\u201d Harpe said during the briefing. \u201cI always know where they are. You get logistics of who\u2019s talking to who. Technology now exists where you can look at a body in real time and tell if they\u2019re carrying something, if you have something stowed somewhere on you. It also lets us do really cool things like suicide prevention.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Harpe earned $275,000 per year in his role as agency director, comparable to top prison officials in <a href=\"https:\/\/salaries.texastribune.org\/employees\/bryan-l-collier-88220\/\">larger states like Texas<\/a>. Stitt has defended the salary as necessary to recruit and retain the best and brightest from the private sector to work in state government.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"771\" height=\"771\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/StaffHeadshots2022_5274.jpg?resize=771%2C771&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-700099\" style=\"width:193px;height:193px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/StaffHeadshots2022_5274.jpg?resize=771%2C771&amp;ssl=1 771w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/StaffHeadshots2022_5274.jpg?resize=336%2C336&amp;ssl=1 336w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/StaffHeadshots2022_5274.jpg?resize=140%2C140&amp;ssl=1 140w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/StaffHeadshots2022_5274.jpg?resize=768%2C768&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/StaffHeadshots2022_5274.jpg?resize=400%2C400&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/StaffHeadshots2022_5274.jpg?resize=200%2C200&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/StaffHeadshots2022_5274.jpg?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/StaffHeadshots2022_5274.jpg?resize=706%2C706&amp;ssl=1 706w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/StaffHeadshots2022_5274.jpg?resize=100%2C100&amp;ssl=1 100w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/StaffHeadshots2022_5274.jpg?w=801&amp;ssl=1 801w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/StaffHeadshots2022_5274-771x771.jpg?w=370&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 771px) 100vw, 771px\"><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p><em>Keaton Ross covers democracy and criminal justice for Oklahoma Watch. Contact him at (405) 831-9753 or <a href=\"mailto:Kross@Oklahomawatch.org\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Kross@Oklahomawatch.org<\/a>.\u00a0Follow him on Twitter at <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/_KeatonRoss\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">@_KeatonRoss<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:17px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\t<div class=\"wp-block-newspack-blocks-homepage-articles is-style-default wpnbha is-grid columns-3 colgap-1 show-image image-aligntop ts-3 is-3 is-landscape is-style-default\" style=\"\">\n\t\t<div data-posts data-current-post-id=\"754183\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"article-section-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<span>MORE FROM keaton ross <\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/h2>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t<article data-post-id=\"754011\" class=\"tag-criminal-justice tag-department-of-corrections tag-jails tag-medical-parole tag-michael-olson tag-oklahoma-legislature tag-oklahoma-news tag-oklahoma-pardon-and-parole-board tag-oklahomans-for-criminal-justice-reform tag-prisons tag-state-question-780 tag-state-sen-dave-rader category-corrections category-criminaljustice type-post post-has-image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"post-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2025\/12\/23\/oklahomas-prison-population-climbed-in-2025\/\" rel=\"bookmark\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2024_1010_5D4B1944-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-newspack-article-block-landscape-large size-newspack-article-block-landscape-large wp-post-image\" alt=\"Oklahoma\u2019s Prison Population Climbed in 2025\" data-hero-candidate=\"1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2024_1010_5D4B1944-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&amp;ssl=1 1200w, 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-->\n\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2025\/12\/23\/oklahomas-prison-population-climbed-in-2025\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">Oklahoma\u2019s Prison Population Climbed in 2025<\/a><\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2025-12-23T06:01:00-06:00\">December 23, 2025<\/time><time class=\"updated\" datetime=\"2025-12-26T09:48:59-06:00\">December 26, 2025<\/time>\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .entry-meta -->\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .entry-wrapper -->\n\t<\/article>\n\n\t\t\n\t<article data-post-id=\"753965\" class=\"tag-attorney-general-gentner-drummond tag-campaign-finance tag-elections tag-legislature tag-oklahoma-ethics-commission tag-oklahoma-news tag-transparency category-democracy category-democracy-democracy category-government category-publicmoney category-transparency type-post post-has-image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"post-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2025\/12\/19\/oklahomas-campaign-finance-database-is-back-online\/\" rel=\"bookmark\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/TED_8259-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-newspack-article-block-landscape-large size-newspack-article-block-landscape-large wp-post-image\" alt=\"Oklahoma\u2019s Campaign Finance Database is Back Online\" data-hero-candidate=\"1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/TED_8259-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/TED_8259-scaled.jpg?resize=800%2C600&amp;ssl=1 800w, 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rel=\"bookmark\">Oklahoma\u2019s Campaign Finance Database is Back Online<\/a><\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2025-12-19T13:30:00-06:00\">December 19, 2025<\/time><time class=\"updated\" datetime=\"2025-12-22T08:59:30-06:00\">December 22, 2025<\/time>\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .entry-meta -->\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .entry-wrapper -->\n\t<\/article>\n\n\t\t\n\t<article data-post-id=\"753674\" class=\"tag-body-cameras tag-cynthia-butler tag-deon-osborne tag-dept-of-corrections tag-kay-thompson tag-odoc tag-oklahoma-highway-patrol category-criminaljustice category-government category-transparency type-post post-has-image\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<figure class=\"post-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2025\/12\/12\/department-of-corrections-refuses-to-release-body-camera-footage\/\" rel=\"bookmark\" tabindex=\"-1\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Prison-Visit-Keaton-04-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&amp;ssl=1\" class=\"attachment-newspack-article-block-landscape-large size-newspack-article-block-landscape-large wp-post-image\" alt=\"Department of Corrections Refuses to Release Body Camera Footage\" data-hero-candidate=\"1\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Prison-Visit-Keaton-04-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Prison-Visit-Keaton-04-scaled.jpg?resize=800%2C600&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Prison-Visit-Keaton-04-scaled.jpg?resize=600%2C450&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Prison-Visit-Keaton-04-scaled.jpg?resize=400%2C300&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Prison-Visit-Keaton-04-scaled.jpg?resize=200%2C150&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Prison-Visit-Keaton-04-scaled.jpg?zoom=2&amp;resize=1200%2C900&amp;ssl=1 2400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/oklahomawatch.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Prison-Visit-Keaton-04-scaled.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&amp;ssl=1&amp;w=370 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 782px) 400px, (min-width: 600px) 42.5vw, 90vw\">\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure><!-- .featured-image -->\n\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"entry-title\"><a href=\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2025\/12\/12\/department-of-corrections-refuses-to-release-body-camera-footage\/\" rel=\"bookmark\">Department of Corrections Refuses to Release Body Camera Footage<\/a><\/h3>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-meta\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2025-12-12T05:45:00-06:00\">December 12, 2025<\/time><time class=\"updated\" datetime=\"2025-12-12T13:56:23-06:00\">December 12, 2025<\/time>\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .entry-meta -->\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div><!-- .entry-wrapper -->\n\t<\/article>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t<\/div>\n\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Steven Harpe left his post as director of the Department of Corrections to take a job at LeoTech, an AI company awarded a million-dollar contract by the department months 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This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Former Corrections Director Approved Million Dollar Deal With AI Company, Then Went to Work For Them - Oklahoma Watch<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/oklahomawatch.org\/2025\/10\/31\/harpe-takes-job-with-private-contractor-testing-state-law\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Former Corrections Director Approved Million Dollar Deal With AI Company, Then Went to Work For Them - Oklahoma Watch\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Steven Harpe left his post as director of the Department of Corrections to take a job at LeoTech, an AI company awarded a million-dollar contract by the department months earlier.\" 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