Republican CPA Charlie Prater of Edmond announced his bid for State Auditor and Inspector on Friday.
The office is opening due to term limits. The Primary election will be held in June of this year and the General Election in November.
“Government must have the confidence of the people it serves,” Prater said. “That’s why accountability is so important.
I will be a voice for all Oklahomans. The professional staff of the State Auditor’s office and I will pursue more accountability and efficiencies in state government.
Where we find waste and mismanagement, we will hold government and the responsible people accountable.
Where we find fraud and abuse, we will expose it.
We will work to make government work better. My office will identify causes of delays and inefficiencies, like outmoded procedures or other systemic failures, root them out and pursue the excellence that Oklahoma deserves.”
Platform
Prater said his priorities would include instituting new whistleblower protections.
“As recent scandals at the State Health Department show, fear of retaliation has prevented state employees from being responsible in reporting misuse of funds and waste in government,” Prater said.
“In order to encourage whistleblowers to come forward, I will establish and properly publicize a confidential hotline to report fraud, waste and abuse.”
Greater budget clarity and spending controls are also Prater goals. “Oklahomans deserve a State Auditor who will provide a tough but fair review of our state finances,” Prater said. “Oklahoma families and businesses have to live within their means. State government should too.”
Prater will emphasize identifying poor contracting practices, following up on past audits, protecting free and fair bidding, stopping public benefits fraud, and implementing better electronic systems and procedures.
Prater is a strong proponent of the Open Records Act and ensuring government officials at all levels abide by Freedom of Information guarantees, which he says “help promote fiscal responsibility and a more productive government.”
Ensuring that local governments, not-for-profits and private companies are treated fairly and operate with best practices where public funds are concerned are also priorities for Prater.
Background
Prater was the eldest son of 6 children growing up in a small farming town in rural Jackson County. He worked on the family farm and at the local grain elevator.
Prater learned the value of hard work at an early age, which he has carried with him throughout his career. Traditional conservative values define Prater’s upbringing, and those values are still with him today.
Education and Career
Prater earned his BA in Accounting from Oklahoma State University in four years. He paid his way thru college while going to school and working at the same time.
Prater has been a member of the Oklahoma Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants for over 40 years. He never intended or expected to run for a political office – until now – given all of the problems with state government deficits, state funding and abuses and fraud created by a large state agency.
In the private sector, Prater has audited and examined large and small companies. Working in Tulsa for one of the then Big Eight national accounting firms, Prater examined the inner workings of Fortune 500 firms to ensure efficiency, effectiveness and accountability.
Subsequent to this work, Prater has over two decades of experience as a CEO and/or CFO of financial and healthcare based companies. He’s overseen the investment of billions of dollars, managed annual revenues totaling hundreds of millions of dollars and handled audit and compliance functions in some of America’s most heavily regulated industries.
Among other professional accomplishments, Prater’s wide-ranging experience includes:
- Restructuring of a $1.6 billon investment portfolio
- Assisting in the raising of $250 million in new investment and generating $130 million in new revenue in one year
- Asset restructuring resulting in increased cash flow of $160 million
- Overseeing financial and accounting functions, insurance and employee benefits, tax and strategic business planning, Medicare/Medicaid compliance, contract negotiation, and staff training.
- Merger and acquisitions of companies as well as the negotiation of the resulting contracts including the audit and due diligence reviews of target companies.
Family
Prater lives in Edmond with his wife of forty-three years, Elaine. They have three adult children and six grandchildren.
Prater and Elaine are longtime members of St. John the Baptist Church in Edmond and is a member of other charitable, fraternal and not-for-profit entities.
Goals
“My parents taught me the value of hard work at an early age with daily chores and responsibilities,” Prater said. “A strong work ethic has served me well throughout my career in private business, and I will bring these same values to the office of State Auditor.
I will be a hands on State Auditor. It’s a management job involving finances and numbers, so it fits my skill set well. In my professional career, I have routinely challenged the status quo and sought creative solutions because change is inevitable. The more you lead ……the more you serve. I’ll do the same as State Auditor.
Especially when dealing with government bureaucracies, I believe people do what you inspect, not what you expect. When I dig in on an investigation, I won’t quit. I won’t let up and will be exhaustive, fair and complete.
Following the money is a part of, but not the end of, the story. Are government programs achieving their intended aims and returns – and at a cost that makes sense for taxpayers?”
Answering these questions will help strengthen our State not just over the next 4 years, but the next 40. It may rock the boat of some entrenched interests or people that do not like change, but that’s the job I’m signing up for, and, as your State Auditor, that’s the job I will do.”
To learn more about Prater’s platform, visit www.PraterforAuditor.com.
