Sooner State News

Oklahomans should "ask tough questions and demand transparency" from the administration of Gov. Kevin Stitt on how COVID-19 relief funds are spent, a watchdog group said.

“While lead federal watchdogs have made it clear that waste, fraud, and abuse were rampant within the government’s pandemic relief efforts, it is clear there has been lax oversight and controls at the state level, too, as massive sums of federal COVID-19 money were handed out," said Peter McGinnis, communication director for the Functional Government Initiative. "We've seen where reports from legislative watchdogs and official state audits in Oklahoma highlight to taxpayers that efforts to curb waste must be strengthened. The people of Oklahoma should continue to ask tough questions and demand transparency and accountability from the state‘s government over the handling of pandemic relief funds.”

In February, the Oklahoma State Auditor independently released a report previously withheld from the public that was critical of the Stitt administration’s handling of pandemic relief funds, according to the Sooner State News. The report stated, "(Oklahoma State Department of Health) did not have adequate inventory controls in place that would provide reasonable assurance that goods received are accurately recorded in the system."

This lack of organized policy and process at the time resulted in irregular pandemic spending "made in violation of the Oklahoma Constitution," according to the state audit. Additionally, the audit found that the Stitt administration’s documentation was in "disarray," noting "inconsistency in how the purchasing documentation was maintained" and a "disconnect between the purchasing and finance process."

The auditor’s account reiterated other Oklahoma government watchdogs’ concerns of mismanagement and lack of transparency related to the Stitt administration’s handling of pandemic funds.

A February 2021 evaluation from the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency (LOFT) also determined that the entity established by Stitt to administer and manage pandemic-related federal funds, CARES FORWARD, "did not facilitate transparency" and struggled with a "lack of consistent application of processes for data management, incomplete documentation, and a general lack of accessibility and transparency regarding expenditures and decision-making."

In a written response at the time, representatives of Stitt’s administration referred to LOFT’s "evaluation" in quotes and decried the report as "agenda driven."   

Recently released public documents show that last year the Oklahoma State Department of Health entered into a $3 million contract with a public relations firm with strong ties to Stitt. The contract with Saxum Strategic Communications shows that Oklahoma is now paying the firm up to $95,000 per month in 2022.

Renzi Stone, founder and executive chairman of Saxum Strategic Communications, has been a substantial donor and supporter of Stitt, according to a report from the Oklahoman.  

Jennifer Monies, senior vice president of public affairs for Saxum, was appointed to the State Board of Education by Stitt in April of 2019, according to the board's website.      

Government watchdogs have reported that several instances of waste and fraud have plagued the government’s COVID relief efforts. In a recent interview with NBC News, the head federal watchdog overseeing the government’s signature programs set up to assist businesses hit by the pandemic, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), detailed rampant fraud and abuse they had discovered.

According to its website, the Functional Government Initiative is an organization seeking an engaged public that demands transparency and integrity from government officials.