Attorney General Seeks $6M in Supplements, Cites PBM Recoveries and Large-Scale Illegal Grow Enforcement

Attorney General Drummond told the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Public Safety and GSA on Jan. 29 that his office needs an immediate $6 million supplemental for fiscal 2026 — $5 million for extraordinary litigation and $1 million to expand the Pharmacy Benefit Management (PBM) enforcement unit — and that the request should be annualized for FY27.

Drummond credited the PBM unit with significant recoveries: he said an agreement with CVS Caremark produced roughly $32.1 million initially and another $13.8 million later — a total he described as about $46 million — and that his office also announced a $5.1 million settlement to reimburse pharmacies paid less than dispensing costs. “For the $1,600,000 we spend annually on this unit, we have provided a return on investment of over 3000%,” he told senators.

Why it matters: the AG framed the supplemental as both a continuing consumer-protection effort against large PBMs and as necessary to defend state laws in ongoing multistate and federal litigation. Drummond said the extraordinary-litigation funds have been used to defend state statutes and policies — including litigation tied to HB 4156 and Title X disputes — and to support prosecutions of organized criminal enterprises impacting Oklahoma communities.

Details and supporting evidence: Drummond outlined enforcement work across multiple priorities. He described the organized retail crime unit’s recent cases (equipment theft, counterfeit returns, ATM “jackpotting”) and said the office has pursued civil asset forfeiture in connection with illegal marijuana grows. Drummond cited OMMA data showing an earlier universe of more than 9,000 grows reduced to roughly 2,500, with an estimated subset diverting product to black markets. Using figures he presented, he illustrated the scale of some operations (for one large site he described, potential production and street-value estimates were used to explain harm to Oklahoma’s regulated markets).

Committee questions and responses: Senators pressed the attorney general on prosecution practices and jurisdiction (whether his office prosecutes or refers cases to district attorneys). Drummond said his office typically prosecutes multijurisdictional cases and has stood up specialized units for retail crime and large-scale organized operations. On civil forfeiture and standards of proof, he described the procedural burdens encountered in proving ownership links and said judges hold the office to a high standard; he noted legislative discussion about evidentiary standards.

What’s next: the AG’s staff offered to follow up with committee members on detailed breakdowns and case lists. The subcommittee will consider the supplemental and recurring requests as part of the normal budget review process.

Ending note: Drummond emphasized the dual goals of recovering money for impacted pharmacies and altering PBM practices to prevent future harm, while also defending state law in high-profile litigation.