Staff Reports
The latest controversy in the great state of Oklahoma has folks scratching their heads and wondering, “Where did all that money go?” An audit of a whopping $13 billion in federal grant money conducted by none other than Oklahoma State Auditor Cindy Byrd has raised some serious red flags, folks.
The audit revealed that a jaw-dropping $21 million was allocated to the Communities Foundation of Oklahoma, a so-called “nonprofit” responsible for handling a whopping $241 million for the Emergency Rental Assistance program. But hold on to your hats because here’s where things get interesting. The audit found a whopping $8.6 million in questionable management fees and $4.3 million used for subawards that didn’t have any documentation to back them up.
Questionable federal grant spending could put Oklahoma on the hook for millionshttps://t.co/mNE6CEAUet
— The Center Square (@thecentersquare) April 23, 2024
But that’s not even the half of it, folks. The Communities Foundation of Oklahoma apparently thought dropping $6.6 million on Afghan relocation services was a great idea. Now, while helping our Afghan allies is essential, the federal grant money wasn’t meant for that purpose. According to the audit, the State of Oklahoma had other grants available for these types of services, so it begs the question: What were they thinking?
But wait, it gets even better! This isn’t the first time the Communities Foundation of Oklahoma has been called out for its spending habits. Last year, they came under fire for their management fee, and Byrd didn’t hold back in her criticism, calling it a “violation of federal grant guidelines.” Ouch!
But it doesn’t stop there, folks. The Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) was supposed to be managing these funds, but according to Byrd, they dropped the ball big time. She claims they lacked the necessary experience to make the right calls. She even pointed out an email from the budget director to the Community Foundation giving them the green light to help themselves with the money. Talk about dropping the ball!
BREAKING: Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond is calling for Secretary Shelley Zumwalt’s resignation.
The AG says Zumwalt used her position as executive director of OESC to approve millions of dollars in contract for a company where her husband was vice president. pic.twitter.com/x3KrwsPcH5
— Zach Rael (@KOCOZach) April 23, 2024
Now, here’s where things get really sticky. If the federal government decides to take action, Oklahoma could be on the hook to repay this massive chunk of change. Byrd isn’t taking this sitting down, though. She’s asking the Oklahoma Legislature to investigate a pilot program process that she feels might be skirting around competitive bidding processes. She’s not holding back, either, calling the program a “grave disservice to every Oklahoman” and warning that it could put state vendors at an unfair disadvantage.
Folks, the folks over at OMES and the Communities Foundation of Oklahoma have some serious explaining to do. With federal grant money in the balance, this is a mess that Oklahoma can’t afford. Let’s hope the powers that be get this sorted out and ensure taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly.
