With less than two weeks before sine die, we have yet to see a budget proposal...from anyone! Also, the investigation into the Swadley's scandal deepens and the multicounty grand jury issued policy recommendations but no indictments. Relevant links are below!
Let’s start with the latest on BBQGate. Two important developments came to light this week:
- First, The Frontier reported that Months before seeking bids, a state tourism official spoke of a deal for Swadley’s Foggy Bottom Kitchen to ‘make money from day one’
- Also, the House Special Investigative Committee that is looking into this scandal convened their first hearing and heard testimony from LOFT director Mike Jackson. During that meeting, it was disclosed that 74% of the funds - $12.4M of the $16.7M given to Swadleys - was misspent. Director Jackson said this happened because the Tourism Department lacked the proper checks and balances. Some examples:
- Travel was reimbursed multiple times. Jackson noted that the mileage reimbursement for one month in 2020 could have paid for someone to drive around the globe four times.
- one of the 59 subcontractors hired by Swadley's to make park and dining improvements charged a $20,000 fee on $53,000 worth of work. In addition, Swadley's then charged project-specific consulting and management fees, Jackson said.
- a cheese melter that Swadley's expensed for $11,600. When LOFT looked into it, the office found the same manufacturer charged no more than $5,500 for that item, Jackson said.
The multicounty grand jury filed their report on Thursday and included within it were a number of findings as well as recommendations. The report says, among other things, that Governor Stitt put improper political pressure on his appointees to the Pardon & Parole board.
- The grand jury is convened by the District Attorney for the purpose of reviewing evidence and, when justified, issuing indictments. So...why is this grand jury issuing policy recommendations? (And is that even legal?)
Initially blocked, pair of campaign websites ‘now available’ on state network (NonDoc)
The ‘weird political misadventure’ of two tag agent bills (NonDoc)
