Fact-Checking Claims Made About Oklahoma’s Lawsuit Against Tyson Foods

After nearly 20 years of litigation, U.S. District Judge Gregory Frizzell recently issued a final judgment in Oklahoma’s lawsuit against Tyson Foods and several other poultry companies, ordering the companies to pay for cleanup and long-term oversight of the Illinois River Watershed.

The case, filed in 2005 by then-Attorney General Drew Edmondson, accused some of the nation’s largest poultry companies of contaminating the Illinois River Watershed (a river system in northeastern Oklahoma, not to be confused with the Illinois River that runs through the state of Illinois). For decades, chicken waste applied as fertilizer in the region has led to elevated phosphorus levels, degrading water quality and fueling harmful algal growth.

In November, Gov. Kevin Stitt, who has often sided publicly with the poultry industry, sought to intervene in the case, prompting statements from both his office and Attorney General Gentner Drummond’s.

This month, the poultry companies appealed the ruling and asked the court to pause enforcement of the order, while tensions between Drummond and Stitt continue to mount.

Investigate Midwest reviewed and fact-checked several claims made by the governor and the attorney general.

Claim: Prior to the judge’s order, Stitt accused Drummond of wanting a “blank check” from poultry companies. “More than $100 million in fines and penalties, a blank check for a 30-year special master, and the demand for 100% litter removal and no future application of this natural resource,” Stitt, a Republican, said on Nov. 25, 2025, referring to Drummond’s proposed judgment.

Partly true. Before the final judgment was issued, the attorney general was seeking more than $100 million in civil penalties across all defendant poultry companies, with the largest proposed penalty — $28.91 million — assessed against Tyson Foods. However, the fines ordered in Frizzell’s final judgment are substantially lower than those amounts — $160,000 for Tyson Foods, and a total of $420,000 for all companies.

Tyson Foods, Inc.: $160,000
Simmons: $90,000 
Cargill, Inc.: $60,000
Cal-Maine: $70,000
Cobb-Vantress: $30,000
George’s, Inc.: $10,000

The final judgment does establish decades-long court oversight through a special master and a cleanup fund that must remain in place for at least 30 years, with the companies paying the costs.

However, the order does not require the complete removal of all poultry litter or the outright ban of future land application. It limits application to fields with acceptable soil phosphorus levels and requires excess litter to be removed or disposed of elsewhere.

Claim: “Their leases might not be renewed.” Stitt said on Nov. 25, 2025, claiming poultry companies would end their contracts with farmers if they lost the case.

Partly True. Tyson Foods has publicly acknowledged that it may not continue doing business with growers in the region. In a statement to Investigate Midwest, a company spokesperson said, “We cannot offer any new contracts in the IRW because it is no longer a hospitable place to do business,” but confirmed that Tyson will honor existing grower contracts, and that,” Tyson remains ready and willing to discuss an amicable resolution to this matter.”

Simmons ran a full-page advertisement in The Oklahoman criticizing Drummond and arguing that his actions are not pro-agriculture. The company also put up billboards in Tulsa and Oklahoma City reading “Drummond: Stop bankrupting farm families.” Simmons Foods has not, however, publicly stated whether it plans to renew grower contracts.

The other poultry companies in the lawsuit have not issued statements.

Claim: “Even as they claim to be concerned about this litigation, Tyson is actively working to acquire additional processing capacity in the watershed,” Drummond said on Nov. 26, 2025, in response to Stitt’s statement.

True. On Dec. 5, Tyson Foods acquired Cargill’s former turkey processing plant in Springdale, Arkansas, for its poultry division. While it is unclear where the chickens processed at the facility will be sourced, the plant is located within the Arkansas portion of the Illinois River Watershed.

Tyson secured the deal through an industrial revenue bond ordinance valued at up to $127 million to purchase and upgrade the property. Under the arrangement, the city takes technical ownership of the facility and leases it back to Tyson through a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILOT) agreement, allowing the company to avoid paying full property taxes for 10 years. Tyson will assume full ownership of the plant at the end of that period.

Claim: Drummond, a Republican who is also running for governor in 2026, has accused Stitt, who is term-limited this year, of supporting poultry companies because of the political donations he has received. “Your actions speak louder than words: you are bought and paid for by out-of-state Big Poultry corporations,” Drummond said on Dec. 2, 2025.

Partly true. According to public records, since 2019, Stitt has received $14,100 from Tyson Foods to his campaign committees and $5,800 from John Tyson, chairman of Tyson Foods. There are no public records of contributions from the other poultry companies involved in the lawsuit.

“Governor Stitt has received significant campaign contributions from Tyson Foods and Tyson Foods executives, raising serious questions about their influence over his administration,” said Shauna Peters, communication director for the AG, in a statement to Investigate Midwest. “At the same time, companies like Tyson and Simmons are spending tens of thousands of dollars on misleading public relations campaigns that spread false information intended to scare contract growers.”

This article first appeared on Investigate Midwest and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.