Federal Auditors Ask State To Return Improperly Used COVID-19 Relief Money

Federal auditors are asking Oklahoma to return hundreds of thousands of dollars the state received in COVID-19 relief money.

An audit released this week from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of the Inspector General focuses on Oklahoma's monitoring processes from March 2020 through August 2021.

Arcade games, fireplaces, mattresses, even stoves, Ring doorbells and X-boxes are some of the things auditors reported Oklahoma families bought with money meant for education.

The Office of the Inspector General said Oklahoma did not have monitoring controls that could have prevented the $650,000 in Bridge the Gap purchases that did not appear to be education-related.

The 69-page audit called on the state to return the $650,000, provide a written explanation of its spending and review more than $5 million in expenses.

Overall, the audit suggested Oklahoma failed to properly oversee the almost $40 million the state got from the Governor's Emergency Education Relief Fund Grant, also known as "GEER."

The audit breaks down three findings:

Finding 1: Oklahoma Did Not Award All of its GEER Grant Funds to Entities in Accordance with the CARES Act, Federal Regulations, and Grant Conditions

Finding 2: Oklahoma’s GEER Fund Monitoring Process Should Be Strengthened

Finding 3: Oklahoma Did Not Follow Cash Management Regulations

Governor Kevin Stitt's office issued a statement to News On 6.

"The state has been proactive in monitoring and ensuring appropriate use of Oklahoma taxpayer dollars, and an internal audit was initiated several months ago, that is ongoing for the Oklahoma GEER funds. It has been made apparent through demand letters that if it is determined that a vendor failed to ensure funds were properly utilized or that any individual misused funds received for educational purposes, the state will take swift and appropriate action."

The state also sent a letter to the inspector general, saying Oklahoma plans to update its policies and procedures by this November. This money did not go through the state department of education.

State Superintendent for Public Instruction, Joy Hofmeister, shared a statement with News On 6.

“Gov. Stitt weaponizes audits to distract from his administration’s own self-dealing, incompetence and arrogant disregard for the law. This federal audit speaks for itself.”