Swadley's_Bar-B-Q_scandal
Swadley's Bar-B-Q scandal
Political scandal in Oklahoma, United States
The Swadley's Bar-B-Q scandal is an ongoing political scandal in Oklahoma involving the misspending of state funds by Swadley's Foggy Bottom Kitchen. Swadley's contracted with the state of Oklahoma in March 2020 to renovate and run six restaurants in six state parks. Between April 2020 and February 2022, Swadley's was paid about $17 million to renovate and manage the restaurants. In March 2022, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation launched an investigation into Swadley's. In April, Oklahoma State Auditor Cindy Byrd released an audit of Oklahoma Department of Tourism funds, the Oklahoma House of Representatives announced the formation of a special house committee to investigate Swadley's alleged misspending, and Swadley's contract with the state was cancelled. In June, Swadley's countersued the state, alleging it was owed an additional $6 million by the state and in October the company hired an independent auditor. In January 2023, attorney general of Oklahoma Gentner Drummond took over the state investigation into the contract.
This article needs to be updated. (May 2024) |