Last updated: April 28, 2024, 9:14 AM | Publication date: April 28, 2024
OKLAHOMA CITY — Gov. Kevin Stitt on Friday convened a recent state audit and called for the resignation of members of his administration in response to “upsetting” political attacks from state leaders preparing to run for high office. .
“What Oklahomans need to understand is that there are members of the state legislature who have already announced that they are running for governor, and there is also a comptroller who is running for lieutenant governor,” Stitt said. spoke at a weekly media briefing. “Within an hour, they adjusted the press statement on this 200-page report. So what I’m saying is, when you politicize, when you try to attack other political opponents, it’s Oklahomans. I mean, it’s very frustrating for people.”
State Auditor and Inspector General Cindy Byrd released a scathing report Tuesday questioning how Oklahoma spent tens of millions of dollars in pandemic relief funds, and state officials awarding contracts without competitive bidding. The practice of entering into such agreements was rigorously investigated.
The audit examined how the state spent its COVID-19 relief funds in fiscal year 2022. Bird’s office conducted a similar audit in fiscal year 2021, which revealed similar issues. “But the numbers at stake now are even higher.”
Oklahoma Comptroller and Comptroller Cindy Byrd questioned no-bid contracts and millions of dollars in pandemic relief spending in an audit this week. (Photo by Nuria Martinez-Keel/Oklahoma Voice)
“Two government agencies have previously reported these flaws, so these findings should not come as a surprise to anyone,” Bird said in a statement Friday. “The audit report is accurate and the concerns are real. We hope the governor will take the time to read the report and take steps to correct these deficiencies that led to the abuse of Oklahomans’ tax dollars. ”
Byrd also raised conflict of interest concerns over former Oklahoma Employment Security Commission Executive Director Shelly Zumwalt, who approved $8.5 million in payment and extension of a no-bid contract change order for a software company where her husband is vice president. I raised it.
Attorney General Gentner Drummond said the audit showed “totally inappropriate and potentially illegal conduct” and called for Zumwalt’s resignation. Mr. Zumwalt currently serves as executive director of the state Department of Tourism and Recreation and Mr. Stitt’s cabinet secretary for tourism.
Drummond Attorney General Phil Bacharach said Friday that “Attorney General Drummond stands by his statement regarding the audit findings and will continue to work toward accountability on behalf of Oklahoma taxpayers.”
Zumwalt said he will not resign because there has never been a conflict of interest issue. She disclosed her relationship with that software vendor before she was hired by OESC, and that her husband, who is not the owner of her company, had never worked with her state. said.
Stitt said it was “unfair” to criticize the use of no-bid contracts during the early months of the pandemic, when a state of emergency was in effect and the OESC had to process a surge of unemployment claims. ”
The governor expressed support for Zumwalt to continue as head of the state agency.
Shelly Zumwalt at a press conference on June 1, 2020. (Brett Dickerson/Okura City Free Press)
“I think she should remain director of tourism,” Stitt said. “All of this was known by the Senate a year ago during her (confirmation) hearing, and she has already been confirmed.”
However, the governor said his term as Cabinet Secretary may end.
In another dispute between the attorney general and the governor, Mr. Drummond issued a legally binding opinion in February on dual positions that called into question the status of Mr. Zumwalt and other Cabinet members.
The opinion focused on Transportation Secretary Tim Gatz, who heads the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority and was a member of the governor’s cabinet. The governor said the opinion also threatens the ability of other secretaries to serve in the Cabinet and lead state agencies at the same time.
Mr. Stitt, Mr. Zumwalt, and two other secretaries sued Mr. Drummond to contest this opinion.
The governor said Zumwalt has tendered his resignation from the Cabinet.
“She said, ‘Hey, I don’t need to be in the spotlight here.’ If I’m causing problems for this administration, I’m going to resign as secretary and focus on tourism.” ‘And it might happen. ”
State lawmakers appear to share the state auditor’s concerns about the use of at-will bid contracts by the Department of Management and Enterprise Services. The Legislature sent a bill to the governor’s desk Wednesday that would require competitive bidding for the purchase of all equipment, products and services.
Republished in partnership with Oklahoma Voice under the Creative Commons License CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Oklahoma Voice is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by a coalition of grants and donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Oklahoma Voice maintains editorial independence. If you have any questions, please contact her editor, Janelle Stecklein. [email protected]. Follow Oklahoma Voice on Facebook twitter.
Nuria Martinez-Keel covers education for Oklahoma Voice and can be found at @NuriaMKeel on Twitter. She worked at the newspaper for six years, spending more than four of those years reporting on education and courts for The Oklahoman. She is a graduate of Oklahoma State University.
