1/15/2024 0 Comments Epic charterInvestigators said Harris, Chaney and Brock falsified financial statements to the Oklahoma State Department of Education. These children, called "ghost students," received received little to no education from Epic and merely increased the headcount used to determine the school's funding, the affidavit states. OSBI investigators said the co-founders encouraged school employees to enroll students in Epic who already attended private schools or were homeschooled. Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd speaks during an October news conference on the release of an investigative audit of Epic Charter Schools.Ĭhaney made a $100,000 donation to the conservative think tank Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, which became a vocal critic of the state auditor, according to the affidavit. "This is so much bigger than two men and a charter school," Byrd said at a news conference Thursday afternoon. "Harris and Chaney had used funds meant for students' education to control and manipulate elections and public policy in this state." ![]() State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd now alleges Harris and Chaney bankrolled two political action committees supporting her opponent in the June 28 Republican primary. Much of the OSBI affidavit reflects findings the Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector's Office uncovered in a 2020 audit of Epic. Stinson and Bice could not be reached for comment late Thursday. ![]() "And frankly, if they thought their contribution would ensure favored treatment by me, they were clearly mistaken as I directed the clawback of $20 million from Epic in misappropriated funds and penalties." "If true, it's outrageous they would use the Learning Fund, meant for children, as their own personal trough for political contributions," Hofmeister said. Preston Stinson and congressional candidate Stephanie Bice, investigators found. He used that personal credit card for vacations and political donations to state schools Superintendent Joy Hofmeister, state Rep. Rather than using all of it on student needs, the defendants spent Learning Fund dollars on personal credit cards and diverted money from the account into their private company's general fund, according to the OSBI affidavit.Ĭhaney partially paid his personal credit card bill with Learning Fund dollars, court documents state. They filled the Learning Fund with taxpayer dollars meant for the school, claiming to designate $800 to $1,000 for every student. The defendants' company owned a bank account called the Learning Fund that was meant to support lesson plans, technology and extracurricular activities for Epic students. ![]() "Harris, Chaney and Brock came up with a ‘get rich quick scheme’ that lined their pockets with tax dollars that were to be spent for the benefit of Oklahoma students." "This has been a very complex and arduous investigation with many roadblocks causing delays in getting to the truth," OSBI Director Ricky Adams said in a statement. ![]() Investigators allege Harris, Chaney and Brock cost taxpayers $22 million by engineering a "complicated criminal enterprise" through their management of charter schools. Chaney earned more than $23.2 million, and Brock was paid $7.1 million, the OSBI agent reported. Of the $69 million, Harris individually received over $24.8 million. The 10% management fee generated more than $69 million for Epic Youth Services since 2013, an OSBI agent reported in a 50-page affidavit detailing the allegations behind the charge. Epic Charter Schools at 50 Penn Place in Oklahoma City is pictured Dec.
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