Southwest
Oklahoma investigation finds leaders ‘grossly negligent’ in management of pandemic relief funds
A newly unsealed multicounty grand jury report in Oklahoma found mismanagement of millions of dollars in the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund (GEER).
The report stated that they found a “grossly negligent handling of federal grant money” and misspending of $40 million leaving the citizens of Oklahoma unable to get the help they truly needed.
“Nevertheless, we find the grossly negligent handling of federal grant money and utter lack of internal controls and oversight over the grant-funded initiatives to be irresponsible, disappointing, and indefensible. What’s more, the waste and misspending of millions of dollars in emergency aid was easily preventable. This mismanagement prevented the most vulnerable Oklahomans from getting help they desperately needed during a global pandemic. Citizens deserve more from their Government,” the jury said.
Kevin Stitt, governor of Oklahoma, speaks during a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump and governors in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Thursday, June 18, 2020. (Chris Kleponis via Getty Images)
The report claims there were other troubling practices and actions, but ultimately there was no sufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a crime was committed.
“Although our investigation uncovered deeply troubling practices and actions (and inactions) by the state offices, non-state entities, and private individuals tasked with establishing and administering the BTG and SIS initiatives, we ultimately find insufficient evidence exists to establish, beyond a reasonable doubt, that a crime was committed. Nor do we find willful or corrupt misconduct or willful malfeasance,” the report stated.
WASHINGTON STATE DIVERTED $340M IN FEDERAL COVID FUNDS TO IMMIGRANTS, INCLUDING VIA $1,000 CHECKS
A voter fills out his ballot during early voting at ONEOK Field in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Oct. 30, 2020. (REUTERS/Nick Oxford)
The report highlighted that the grand jury ultimately found a majority of the issues resulted from the state’s disregard of existing administrative safeguards, “EKCO Director’s authorization of all integrated vendors on the platform effectively disregarded all internal control options offered by the Company.”
It went on to point out that as a result, “no limit was placed on the items families could purchase with BTG funds in the first instance, and nobody was monitoring purchases to ensure they complied with program requirements on the back end. It should come as no surprise then that a massive portion of BTG awards—over $1.7 million by the State Auditor’s assessment—went to the purchase of items that could not reasonably be deemed to serve an emergency educational purpose.”
Some of the items listed were common household luxuries and had nothing to do with the education system.
“Such unallowable purchases included but were not limited to: 817 televisions, 385 watches or smartwatches, 179 doorbell cameras, 174 cell phones and related accessories, 71 refrigerators, 27 Xbox systems, and 3 Christmas trees. Not only did the use of these funds to purchase non-education items breach the State’s duty to ensure GEER Fund money was only used for pandemic-related emergency educational assistance, but that money could have been directed to provide intended pandemic relief where it was actually needed,” the report stated.
DEM STATES, CITIES OVERRUN BY MIGRANTS FUNNELED MILLIONS IN FEDERAL COVID-19 AID TO SUPPORT ILLEGALS
An Oklahoma appeals court has agreed to a plan by state Attorney General Gentner Drummond to halve the pace at which executions are conducted. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, file)
“The State bestowed these individuals and organizations with control over millions of dollars in federal funding without any vetting process or formal agreement assuring their accountability to the State,” the grand jury said.
The Oklahoma State Department of Education also released a statement on the investigation’s findings.
“Superintendent Walters has prioritized carefully and efficiently using taxpayer funds. Unfortunately, in this case, the vendor involved did not adhere to the same standards. Superintendent Walters’s deep commitment to fiscal responsibility and taxpayer accountability has been borne out during his time as Secretary and now as State Superintendent. Under his leadership, OSDE has instituted the highest standards to ensure the most efficient use of taxpayer money possible,” the department said.
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Los Angeles, Ca
LADWP begins long-term repairs after West Hollywood water main rupture
Crews worked overnight on what is expected to be a long-term effort to clean up and repair a broken water main that caused extensive damage in West Hollywood on Thursday.
Yellow tape remained in place Friday morning, blocking streets around Sunset Boulevard and Holloway Drive as crews continued pumping water out of the century-old trunk line.
Asphalt and soil were also being removed so crews could get a better look at the damaged 36-inch trunk line, a major feeder pipe serving the area.
“First and foremost is our crews’ safety,” a Los Angeles Department of Water and Power spokesperson said Thursday. “When we excavate, we are going to have to make sure the area is safe before we send crews in to proceed and start the actual repairs on the pipe.”
The water main ruptured around 3 a.m. Thursday, sending thousands of gallons of water rushing through West Hollywood streets, flooding dozens of garages and pushing parked cars into one another.
A Metro bus yard was also flooded, leaving several buses partially submerged.
The force of the water washed away dirt and gravel supporting the roadway, creating a massive sinkhole on Sunset Boulevard and a smaller one near Palm Avenue, where two people fell in.
“I’m astounded by the massive sinkhole that has just opened up before our eyes,” KTLA’s Annie Rose Ramos reported Thursday from Palm Avenue.
The two men appeared to be uninjured.
As for the larger trunk line that burst beneath Sunset Boulevard, KTLA’s Carlos Herrera reported it was scheduled for replacement in 2031.
LADWP officials now hope to establish a repair timeline after getting a closer look at the damage Friday. For now, the intersection is expected to remain closed for anywhere from several days to several weeks.
The cause of the rupture remains under investigation.
Los Angeles, Ca
Arrest made in deadly shooting at 4th of July gathering in Compton; search for 2nd suspect continues
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna gave an update Thursday on several shootings over the Fourth of July weekend that left three people dead and several others injured.
Police arrested Antoine Jones, a 50-year-old man from the Los Angeles area, who they believe is responsible for the murder of a 19-year-old woman and the attempted murder of two additional surviving female victims who were attending a large community block party in Compton.
On July 4 at approximately 11:40 p.m., deputies from the Compton station responded to an apartment complex on the 700 block of West Laurel Street following reports of multiple people being shot.
Meah Bordenave-Jenkins, a 19-year-old nursing student at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, was killed when gunfire broke out at the party.
Deputies located Bordenave-Jenkins and the two other women suffering from gunshot wounds outside of the apartment complex.
“While today’s announcement represents an important step towards justice for Meah and her family, our work is very far from being over,” said LASD Sheriff Robert Luna.
The LASD is also seeking the public’s help in identifying those responsible for the murder of Eric Washington, 37, a beloved community activist and former government staffer, and the attempted murder of another surviving man injured that same night at the same party.
Washington was reportedly killed while trying to deescalate a conflict at the party, his family said. Deputies found victim Washington suffering from a gunshot wound inside the complex.
Investigators later learned that another man had also been shot at some point during the incident.
Bordenave-Jenkins and Washington both died from their injuries. The remaining victims, two women and a man, sustained non-life-threatening injuries and have been released from the hospital. They have not been identified by police.
Detectives determined the two shootings happened moments apart at the party but appear to be separate and unrelated.
Detectives identified Jones as the suspect responsible for Bordenave-Jenkins’ death and the attempted murder of the two surviving women. Authorities located Jones on July 14 in Los Angeles and took him into custody.
The LASD is still searching for the suspect or suspects responsible for the murder of Washington and the attempted murder of the surviving male victim.
“Although today’s arrest is significant, this investigation remains extremely active,” Luna said.
“There were hundreds of people at this gathering,” Luna said. “Somebody knows, somebody saw or somebody heard what happened.”
The LASD also announced they’re searching for a suspect in a separate shooting at a different Fourth of July gathering that occurred in the early morning of July 5.
At approximately 12:10 a.m., Compton deputies responded to the 2100 block of North Grandee Avenue, where they located a 30-year-old victim, Thaddeus Clark, and a second victim suffering from gunshot wounds at the gathering.
Clark, a father of three, did not survive his injuries, Luna said.
The LASD is urging anyone with information about Clark’s murder and the attempted murder of the surviving victim to contact the LASD Homicide Bureau.
Although these shooting incidents occurred at gatherings less than an hour apart, investigators found no evidence that the two were connected, Luna said.
Luna also announced three suspects have been arrested in connection with a shooting in East L.A. on July 5. It happened as crowds crossed the intersection near Whittier Boulevard and Leonard Avenue during a World Cup match.
Four people were hit by gunfire, including two men, one woman and a boy. None of the injuries were life-threatening.
The sheriff said the alleged shooter, a 15-year-old known gang member, was arrested. Two female suspects, ages 21 and 38, have been arrested in the Lancaster and Palmdale areas for their alleged roles in luring the primary victim to the location and assisting the shooting suspect in evading arrest.
They’re all facing four counts of attempted murder.
Los Angeles, Ca
Water main break floods West Hollywood streets, traps cars
A broken water main sent water gushing from an apartment building and turned nearby streets into rivers in West Hollywood early Thursday morning. The break was reported around 3 a.m. near Holloway Drive and Sunset Boulevard. “It’s a rupture of one of the significant mains that goes through here. West Hollywood, as it turns out, […]
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