House Speaker Charles McCall has assembled a special House committee to investigate the vendor agreements between the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department (OTRD) and Swadley’s Bar B-Q Restaurants. On Monday, the Tourism Department cancelled the state parks concessions contract with Swadley’s saying it was due to “suspected fraudulent activity and questionable business practices.”
The special committee, chaired by Representative Ryan Martinez will take a closer look at that contract and the system which allowed it to happen.
OTRD has paid millions to Swadley’s for the renovation of restaurants at state parks and to manage those services for the state. Swadley’s branded the state park restaurants as “Foggy Bottom Kitchen.”
Martinez peppered Tourism Department Executive Director Jerry Winchester with questions about the Swadley’s contract during the Legislative Oversight Committee for the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency hearing on the state parks on March 31st. He cited then that the contact between OTRD and Swadley’s was suspect.
“The contract alone reeked from top to bottom, and continuing revelations about the activities surrounding it have been even more troubling,” Martinez said. “There have been too many incomplete, inconsistent answers to legitimate questions about how millions of tax dollars were spent. This committee will exercise proper legislative authority to get the full truth and provide the accountability necessary to remedy the situation.”
McCall says it is legislators’ duty to protect taxpayer dollars.
“We have zero tolerance for abuse of tax dollars,” McCall said. “Law enforcement’s job is determining if laws were broken. This committee’s job is determining if laws need to change to protect against future abuses of resources by state agencies. The committee will pursue the truthful answers needed for the Legislature to perform our oversight and policymaking duties in a manner that does not interfere with the active law enforcement investigations.”
The special committee maybe widened to include the Oklahoma Senate, if they want to join the investigation.
Governor Kevin Stitt released a statement after the Thursday news conference announcing the special committee’s formation.
“I have called for more audits than any other governor in state history and welcome the Legislature joining me to protect the taxpayers and shine a light on any kind of corruption or bad actors involved in state government.
“The state does business with more than 4,600 companies and I welcome a review of each one to provide maximum transparency for Oklahomans,” said Stitt.
However, both Republicans and Democrats in the Legislature are questioning the past move of giving the governor increased power and oversight of state agencies. It could lead to the Legislature to attempt to return the oversight powers of some boards and commissions.
The OSBI also is conducting a criminal investigation into the Tourism-Swadley’s contract.
You can watch the news conference announcing the special committee’s formation below.
