Audit: Millions in COVID purchases by Oklahoma health officials yet to be received

[Nevilledog]

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Nick Knudsen
@NickKnudsenUS
Wow. The Oklahoma State Auditor released a scathing report about the GOP Admin’s pandemic purchasing practices.

🔥 Unconstitutional pre-payment for goods never received
🔥 $750K sole-source contract w/o justification

But “GOP fiscal responsibility”
021022-tul-nws-osdhaudit-p1
tulsaworld.com
Audit: Millions in COVID purchases by Oklahoma health officials yet to be received
Goods have still not been received after more than $5.4 million was paid by the state for PPE from September 2019 through February 2021, according to a report released by
10:39 AM · Feb 10, 2022

https://tulsaworld.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/audit-millions-in-covid-purchases-by-oklahoma-health-officials-yet-to-be-received/article_8c5bf354-89d5-11ec-8c44-abdaf063b343.html


OKLAHOMA CITY — An investigative audit released Wednesday found significant problems with how the state purchased items during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prepayments were made in violation of the Oklahoma Constitution, according to State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd’s investigative audit covering the period of September 2019 through February 2021.

Goods still have not been received for more than $5.4 million paid by the state, according to the audit.

The Oklahoma State Department of Health “did not have a comprehensive emergency procurement policy or procedure in place prior to the COVID-19 emergency, greatly increasing the state’s risk for fraud, waste, and loss of funds,” the audit said.

The audit found supporting documentation for the purchases in disarray.

*snip*

[HighFired49]

1. Misleading headline

This is all on Stitt: "Certain legal requirements of the Central Purchasing Act were lifted based on executive orders from Gov. Kevin Stitt, the audit notes." and, “In our review of the Executive Orders issued by the Governor, there was no authority for the Secretary of Health to be the designated purchaser nor did the orders give the Secretary the authority to approve purchases,” the audit says.
"Overall purchasing and decision-making responsibilities should have remained with the state health commissioner, according to the audit."

If the purchase had gone through the State Health Dept., as it should have, it would have had to go through all of the requirements of the purchasing program. When I was there, nothing got through that procurement system without proper accountability at each step. Sounds to me that "someone" deliberately circumvented the safety measures. That's what Oklahoma gets when it elects someone who knows NOTHING about government as their governor, and this isn't the first time he has done something like this.

He's running for Governor again and will probably win just because he has and R after his name. Stupid state elects lots of stupid/bad people.