Former Oklahoma Department of Tourism head Shelley Zumwalt didn’t just ride off into the sunset—she apparently took a parting gift with her. After “retiring” amid a cloud of ethics questions, Zumwalt secured a severance package that’s raising eyebrows across the Capitol. Details remain murky (naturally), but the optics are crystal clear: controversy in, cash out. For an agency tasked with selling Oklahoma’s charm, this episode feels less like a brochure and more like a warning label.
This article appears in 100 Years of Route 66.