User:Dcheagle/Swadley

The Swadley's Bar-B-Q scandal is a political scandal in Oklahoma involving the misspending of state taxpayer funds by Swadley's. In March 2020 Swadley's received a contract with the state of Oklahoma to renovate and run restaurants located within six state parks. Between April 2020 and February 2022, Swadley's was paid more then $16 million to renovate and manage the restaurants, which were branded as Swadley's Foggy Bottom Kitchen.

The Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department launched an investigation in the fall 2021 after reports of financial irregularities were brought to the departments attention. In March 2022 Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation launched an investigation into Swadley's alleged misspending. In April 2022 the contract between Swadley's and the state of Oklahoma was cancelled citing suspected fraudulent activity and questionable business practices. Oklahoma State Auditor Cindy Byrd released the findings of an audit of Oklahoma Department of Tourism, and the Oklahoma House of Representatives announced the formation of a special house committee to investigate Swadley's alleged misspending. In May 2022 the state of Oklahoma filed a lawsuit against Swadley's stating the company owed the state of Oklahoma $4.7 million, Swadley's counter-sued the state, alleging it was owed an additional $2.6 million by the state.

In January 2023, attorney general of Oklahoma Gentner Drummond took over the state investigation into the contract. In February 2024 a multi-county grand jury indicted Ronald Brent Swadley, Curtis Ray Breuklander and Timothy Raymond Hooper, the three were charged with one felony count of conspiracy to defraud the state and five felony counts of presenting false or fraudulent claims against the state.

Background
Swadley's Bar B-Q was founded in 1998 in Bethany, Oklahoma by Brent Swadley. By September 2021, they had franchises in Ardmore, El Reno, Midwest City, Mustang, and Oklahoma City.

In January 2020, the state opened a biding process to private contractors to renovate and run the restaurants located within Roman Nose, Lake Murray, Sequoyah, Beavers Bend, Robbers Cave, and Quartz Mountain State Parks. Swadley's was the only company to apply by the February 10th deadline. Plans to include Little Sahara State Park were dropped. Between April 2020 and February 2022, Swadley's was paid more then $16 million to renovate and manage the restaurants.

Audit and investigations
In 2019, the Oklahoma Legislature passed a bill to reduced the 8 person Oklahoma Tourism commission to an advisory board and give the agency director, hired by the governor, complete control over spending and contracts. On March 7, 2022, Oklahoma State Auditor Cindy Byrd released an audit of the Oklahoma Department of Tourism determining the department lacked "effective internal controls" over the spending involving Swadley's contract.

In April 2022 the Oklahoma Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency released a report.

In April, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation opened an investigation into Swadley's contracts with the state. The same month, the Oklahoma House of Representatives called Oklahoma Department of Tourism director Jerry Winchester to testify regarding the scandal. On April 25, the state officially cancelled its contracts with Swadley's. Later that week, Winchester resigned and the Oklahoma House announced the formation of a special investigative committee. Governor Kevin Stitt announced a lawsuit would be filed to recover lost funds. The bipartisan House Committee was chaired by Ryan Martinez. In January 2023, attorney general of Oklahoma Gentner Drummond took over the investigation into Swadley's. In August 2023, Drummond began presenting evidence against Swadley's to a grand jury.