How Cleveland Co. Sheriff's 'Excessive Spending' Could Hurt Reelection

Lina Portman3 weeks ago

2 5 minutes read

NORMAN — Cleveland County Sheriff Chris Amason's re-election campaign coincided with a state audit of what other county officials described as excessive spending by his agency.

Cleveland County commissioners diverted $3.2 million to the sheriff's office Monday in order to pay unpaid bills, salaries and other operational expenses as the end of the fiscal year approaches. On Wednesday, the first part of a special report requested from the auditor was released, detailing the audit's explanation and what state officials are looking into.

“The Board of County Commissioners, at the request of Sheriff Amason, asked my office to conduct the audit,” Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd said in a statement. “The audit request included several objectives regarding the finances of the Sheriff's Office. Most importantly, the Sheriff requested that we confirm the amount of FY 2024 appropriations for his office due to several reconciliation issues. Confirm the Appropriations was a pressing matter because the Cleveland County annual budget is statutorily due July 1, 2024.”

Byrd added that all county officials have been helpful and responsive in responding to the audit request. Her team “will continue to work on additional targets,” and she hopes to release the second part of the audit later this year.

Here's how we got here.

What led to the audit?

County commissioners in February asked Byrd to conduct a special audit of the sheriff's office for fiscal years 2021 through 2024. Then, in March, commissioners followed up on their initial request by asking state auditors to prioritize the current fiscal year from July 2023 to February. 2024.

The report shows that between July and February, the sheriff's office collected at least $16.8 million.

Related:Cleveland County Commissioners approve $3.2 million to 'bail out' sheriff's overspending

Originally, the Cleveland County Treasurer and budget board members in September approved $18.36 million for the Sheriff's Office for fiscal year 2024. The Sheriff's Office is funded by three different sources: the county general fund, a public safety sales tax, and legally authorized daily collections by the office of service fees and commissary revenues related to the jail.

But by late January, “disagreements” were already brewing among budget board members over “the exact amounts of the sheriff’s collection,” according to the report. The Cleveland County Board of Commissioners then approved Amason's audit request from Byrd's office, but in mid-February they removed an item from the meeting agenda to transfer 2 million dollars to the sheriff's general fund.

After further discussion, in late February, the county budget board approved transferring a $1.3 million “temporary loan” from the general government capital improvement fund to the sheriff’s account. An additional $275,000 from the general capital improvement fund was diverted to the sheriff's office in late April, while an additional $575,000 in “emergency appropriations” from the public safety sales tax was were also approved in May.

According to the county budget board meeting agenda, the “Sheriff General's Bailout Fund” approved Monday included $2.2 million from general government capital expenditure funds and $1 million from the general government fund. general government of commissioners.

District 1 Cleveland County Commissioner Rod Cleveland said $1.3 million of the $3.2 million transfer was used to repay the temporary loan approved in February, according to the audit report.

More:Oklahoma County risks lower bond rating and higher interest on jail funds

What is audited?

Last month, Cleveland County commissioners updated their February request to the state auditor's office to “investigate” the sheriff's office for fiscal year 2024 in various areas:

“PCard” or county-issued “purchase” card transactions.
Transportation Assistant credit card transactions, including meal and lodging per diems.
Proper accounting and commitments to pay for services and products prior to purchase.
Salary expenses, including whether raises were awarded to employees retroactively.
Contracts, Utilities, Leases, and Subscription and Membership Fees.
Prison financial operations and staffing levels.

The first part of the special audit report published on Wednesday emphasizes that it draws no conclusions. The auditor “does not intend to determine the guilt, innocence, culpability or liability, if any, of any person or entity for any act, omission or transaction examined,” the report said. “Any decision would be within the exclusive jurisdiction of regulatory bodies and law enforcement, prosecutorial and/or court authorities designated by law.”

How might this affect the county sheriff's election?

The audit report comes as the Republican sheriff tries to persuade voters to re-elect him Tuesday. His campaign website promises “honesty, integrity and transparency,” and Amason's social media touts support from high-profile supporters such as Reps. Chris Kannady and Mark McBride and the attorney general of Oklahoma, Gentner Drummond.

“I would be honored to be able to vote on June 18,” Amason said in a statement posted on his campaign website. “My goal will always be to provide the protection and services that you, as a taxpayer, expect and deserve.”

Amason's Republican opponents, former 2020 challenger Tim Deal and longtime county clerk Julie Tipton, are running separate campaigns against him. But Tipton openly advocates for reform of the sheriff's office, gaining support from Moore Mayor Mark Hamm and Lexington Mayor Mike Donovan.

More:What is happening in Normand? Investigations continue into the deaths of two women in prison

The Cleveland County Detention Center has faced growing outcry in recent years after several high-profile jail deaths and numerous health inspection deficiencies.

Tipton, who served as deputy chief of detention at the sheriff's office, pointed to a legal opinion issued in April by Drummond on counties prioritizing funding and management of jails. Drummond's opinion tasks county commissioners with providing funding and inspections, while county sheriffs are responsible for daily operations and maintenance of the jails.

In a social media statement last month, Tipton claimed Amason had “failed to hold up his end of the constitutional bargain.”

“Instead, additional positions were created within the Sheriff’s Office without proper approval pathways, resulting in a payroll shortfall,” Tipton said. “This mismanagement has not only jeopardized staffing levels, but has also compromised the safety and security of the facility. The repercussions of this neglect are dire. Deputies are being diverted from other critical areas to make up for the shortfall of staff, while long-serving detention officers face demotion.”

Tipton added that she believes job stability within the department and the overall safety of the community are at risk.

What was the reaction of the sheriff's office?

In a statement provided to The Oklahoman, Amason said he “appreciated the collaborative spirit” of Monday’s meeting and was “grateful for the county budget board’s willingness to work with me to resolve this issue “.

When asked by email how the Sheriff's Office could have spent millions of dollars, Cleveland County Sheriff's Office Public Information Director Christina DeWalt said that “the question of Oklahoman was more of an accusation.”

Lina Portman

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