The Oklahoma Department of Commerce is taking action to protect taxpayer dollars after an internal investigation discovered abuse in the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP). WAP is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and implemented locally in Oklahoma by service providers who contract with Commerce.
After whistleblowers alerted leadership to potential abuse in the program, an internal review discovered several irregularities. The agency engaged a third party for an independent forensic audit of WAP.
The audit uncovered troubling misappropriation and mismanagement of the funds by a local provider. No Commerce employees were implicated in the audit.
Commerce immediately alerted the Governor’s Office and Attorney General’s Office and is exploring all legal action necessary to address the issue with the provider. Commerce is also taking the necessary steps internally to ensure taxpayer dollars are protected moving forward.
“Abuse in government programs have no place in Oklahoma,” said Oklahoma Commerce CEO John Budd. “Being transparent and good stewards of taxpayer dollars is always a priority, and I’m thankful for the whistleblowers who alerted us to this issue and that our investigation was able to quickly identify the problem.”
Due to the potential for litigation, Commerce cannot comment further on this matter.
