Oklahoma State Auditor & Inspector Cindy Byrd says state government is “mired in a culture of financial mismanagement” after the latest Federal Single Audit revealed $93.4 million in questionable costs during FY 2023. The annual audit, conducted by the Auditor’s Office, examines how state agencies manage federal tax dollars and ensures expenditures comply with federal rules.
“It is past time for Oklahoma to get its financial house in order,” Byrd said. “If this mismanagement continues, our federal taxes will go up, our state taxes will go up, and government services will plummet. The federal government can, and most likely will, demand millions of dollars back from the State of Oklahoma.”
The audit examined $14.9 billion in federal expenditures. Questioned costs, spending that is undocumented, unlawful, or potentially unethical, have now totaled more than $186 million over the past three years.
Much of the latest concern centers on the Office of Management and Enterprise Services, which mismanaged more than $21.8 million in federal rental assistance funds, and the Department of Human Services, which failed to put safeguards on more than $63.6 million in childcare and welfare programs. Byrd’s office estimates nearly 7,700 Oklahomans could have received rent help during the pandemic but were denied.
The Federal Single Audit can be found here.
