![]() 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.
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