LOFT Delays Hearing Report Critiquing State's Handling Of CARES Act Funds

A report critiquing how the executive branch spent about $1.26 billion in federal pandemic relief funds will not be heard Thursday, a co-chair for the financial oversight group said.

The Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency (LOFT) was expected to discuss their report during a meeting on Thursday. They reviewed how the state's CARES FORWARD team spent the money for four months. 

In May, the U.S. government issued the funds, passed through the CARES Act, to Oklahoma to help respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The money was allocated by the CARES FORWARD team, which is led by state COO John Budd and made up of other members of the executive branch. 

Budd was not available Thursday due to a family medical emergency and so LOFT decided to postpone the discussion, LOFT Co-Chair and Sen. Roger Thompson, R-Okemah, during the meeting.

Thompson said the meeting without Budd would be unfair.

Click here to view a draft of the report.