Swadley's

[DowntownMan]

https://twitter.com/ForrestBennett/s...UgrbPLWld-CY9Q


Forrest Bennett
@ForrestBennett
At one point, Swadley’s turned in a report that included $164,903 in travel costs. At the federal reimbursement rate of 56 cents/mile, that would be about four trips around the world. So, probably not accurate.

How many weekend cabin stays at broken bow did they take to check on the work being done. That probably where that cost comes from

[catcherinthewry]

How many weekend cabin stays at broken bow did they take to check on the work being done. That probably where that cost comes from

That would be the equivalent of 426 trips from OKC to Broken Bow.

[DowntownMan]

That would be the equivalent of 426 trips from OKC to Broken Bow.

I’m not talking mileage. I was talking cabin rentals

[catcherinthewry]

Travel costs are paid by the mile so they don't include cabin rentals.

[DowntownMan]

Travel costs are paid by the mile so they don't include cabin rentals.

Just was a thought. It says travel. Doesn’t say details of what exactly it was. If it said mileage that would make sense but travel to me includes mileage costs per mile Plus any other costs associated with traveling some where such as lodging and meals while traveling.

If you were to travel for work and take your own car. You would get paid per mile driven plus any costs of lodging and food reimbursement. I was kinda thinking this same logic is probably how they are classifying “travel”

[Dob Hooligan]

When we are talking about charging for miles or cabins, I think you guys need to remember you are talking about the "non-Swadley" world.

Gino, Jerry & the boys are gonna mix and sling that grub and cover it with a thick layer of "taxpayer green" gravy in the Swadley world.

[soonerguru]

When we are talking about charging for miles or cabins, I think you guys need to remember you are talking about the "non-Swadley" world.

Gino, Jerry & the boys are gonna mix and sling that grub and cover it with a thick layer of "taxpayer green" gravy in the Swadley world.

The most expensive cabins in broken bow rent for about $300 a night, unless you are renting one of the humongous multifamily ones. So, whatever those expenses were were obviously padded out and profligate. Just a total up yours to Oklahoma taxpayers.

[baralheia]

The most expensive cabins in broken bow rent for about $300 a night, unless you are renting one of the humongous multifamily ones. So, whatever those expenses were were obviously padded out and profligate. Just a total up yours to Oklahoma taxpayers.

And a total disregard of public trust that such charges were approved and paid out, too.

[ManAboutTown]

Speaking for myself, I will never again patronize Swadley's in any way, shape or form. Their guilt or innocence on this issue may not yet be determined, but it reeks of that "good ol' boy" mentality which has damaged the State of Oklahoma's reputation and progress for decades. There are too many smaller, Mom-and-Pop, family-owned BBQ restaurants that don't display this level of greed and malfeasance, and the food is better too.

[Bill Robertson]

Speaking for myself, I will never again patronize Swadley's in any way, shape or form. Their guilt or innocence on this issue may not yet be determined, but it's reeks of that "good ol' boy" mentality which has damaged the State of Oklahoma's reputation and progress for decades. There are too many smaller, Mom-and-Pop, family-owned BBQ restaurants that don't display this level of greed and malfeasance, and the food is better too.

Agree 100%. We didn't go there anyway because the couple times we did try them we didn't like it. But if we were regulars we wouldn't be now.

[Libbymin]

Ruh roh.


https://www.readfrontier.org/stories...chen-expenses/

Oklahoma Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell signed off on millions of Foggy Bottom Kitchen expenses
May 16, 2022

At one point Pinnell approved a $1.5-million payment to Foggy Bottom via email without seeing the invoice, an email obtained by The Frontier shows.


Amid the fallout from the Swadley’s Foggy Bottom Kitchen scandal, Gov. Kevin Stitt announced Lt. Gov. Matt Pinnell would take a more hands-on role in state tourism operations.

But Pinnell has already played an active role. As Secretary of Tourism, he personally approved $16.7 million in payments for Swadley’s Foggy Bottom Kitchen restaurants from the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department.

Following an executive order Stitt signed in 2019, cabinet secretaries must approve all agency expenses over $25,000. Pinnell was required to review each purchase and had the power to reject any expense, according to the order.

Mariah Carter, a spokesperson for Pinnell, did not answer The Frontier’s question on whether Pinnell vetted purchases before signing off on expenses.

“There are levels of accountability and approval that must occur before these requisitions hit the Lt. Governor’s desk,” Carter said. “At the time, the Lt. Governor had full faith in the agency director and his decision making.”

Tourism Executive Director of Tourism Jerry Winchester resigned in April after revelations of questionable spending on the Swadley’s deal.

Documents reflect the trust Pinnell had in Winchester. At one point Pinnell approved a $1.5-million payment to Foggy Bottom via email without seeing the invoice, an email obtained by The Frontier shows. He also signed off on a $2.1 million payment to reimburse Swadley’s for its “fiscal year 2021 deficit coverage” in August.

At a hearing at the Oklahoma State Capitol on Thursday, lawmakers heard testimony detailing how the Tourism Department lost $12.4 million to improper payments for Foggy Bottom restaurants because of a lack of oversight.

In an interview, Rep. Ryan Martinez, R-Edmond, chairman of a special House committee investigating the deal, said he was troubled by the apparent “rubber stamp” approval on Swadley’s expenses.

“Based off of what I’ve seen from the Swadley deal, it doesn’t look like there’s much of a verification process,” he said.

Carly Atchison, a spokesperson for Stitt, said the governor issued the 2019 executive order to provide “added oversight when agencies spend money so that the governor knows what expenses are going out.”

But, Stitt wasn’t aware that Swadley’s was overbilling the Tourism Department until a meeting with Jerry Winchester on April 18, she said.

Carter said Pinnell is “leading the charge” to urge the Legislature to amend state law to require the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Commission to approve all budgets and contracts. Legislation in 2018 stripped the board of its powers.

“As a statewide elected official, Lt. Governor Pinnell works tirelessly to make Oklahoma better,” Carter said. “He feels accountable to taxpayers and certainly sees it as his responsibility to not only get to the bottom of this issue, but also make sure the proper systems are in place to prevent something like this from happening again.”

[soonerguru]

^^^^^

holy crap

[ManAboutTown]

^^^^^

holy crap

Are you speaking of Swadley's food or our Lt. Governor's blindly approving $1.5 million in taxpayer expenditures?

[Pete]

The Frontier continues with its great investigative reporting.

Kudos to them.

[Libbymin]

I also love the fact that there was a bill passed in 2019 designating oversight by cabinet secretaries specifically to make sure this kind of crap doesn’t happen and lo and behold…

[barrettd]

Stitt will throw his entire cabinet under the bus if he has to, to keep his national political aspirations alive, it sounds like.

[brunnesa]

I sure do love Swadley's food. I eat there like once a week. The burnt ends dinner is crazy good! I will continue to eat there no matter what.

[catcherinthewry]

Swadley's is mediocre BBQ. I was boycotting them before I knew its owner was a conman.

[jerrywall]

Swadley's is mediocre BBQ. I was boycotting them before I knew its owner was a conman.

It's so weird, because all the engineers at my wife's company love them, and the out of state folks are huge fans, so they use them all the time. I had to ban her from bringing the leftovers home because I didn't want that BBQ in my house. I could never stand them, and I hate that so many folks are exposed to them as being representative of Oklahoma BBQ (which may be accurate since so much of our BBQ sucks, but it's not a representative of GOOD Oklahoma BBQ).

[T. Jamison]

After all of this, I am proud to say that in the decade I have lived in Oklahoma City, I have never eaten at Swadley's once.

[catcherinthewry]

It's so weird, because all the engineers at my wife's company love them, and the out of state folks are huge fans, so they use them all the time. I had to ban her from bringing the leftovers home because I didn't want that BBQ in my house. I could never stand them, and I hate that so many folks are exposed to them as being representative of Oklahoma BBQ (which may be accurate since so much of our BBQ sucks, but it's not a representative of GOOD Oklahoma BBQ).

IMO, great BBQ starts with great meat and most OK BBQ restaurants use cheaper meat to keep their prices down. Most Oklahomans won't pay for premium BBQ so they don't know how good BBQ can be. Give me Edge Craft and The Butcher BBQ Stand. I'm willing to pay extra for great BBQ.

[catcherinthewry]

On another note Gino DeMarco who is in the middle of the Swadley's fiasco is going for the hat trick. He's also involved in Lake Murray scandal and the PPE scandal.

https://www.readfrontier.org/stories...-ethics-rules/

[Roger S]

Swadley's is mediocre BBQ. I was boycotting them before I knew its owner was a conman.

I was never quite able to get over their World Famous claim..... But I guess you advertise it long enough and some people will start to buy into it.

Then again after all the smoke clears over this debacle.... They may be able to claim some World Fame.... Just not for the Q.

[Roger S]

It's so weird, because all the engineers at my wife's company love them, and the out of state folks are huge fans, so they use them all the time. I had to ban her from bringing the leftovers home because I didn't want that BBQ in my house. I could never stand them, and I hate that so many folks are exposed to them as being representative of Oklahoma BBQ (which may be accurate since so much of our BBQ sucks, but it's not a representative of GOOD Oklahoma BBQ).

And if you ask them what they love about Swadley's. Majority of the answers will be "The sauce!" or "The Sides!".

[jerrywall]

Give me Edge Craft and The Butcher BBQ Stand. I'm willing to pay extra for great BBQ.

Man, Butcher's has about ruined brisket for me from anywhere else. Although, just a couple of weeks ago the wife and I ate at that BBQ place in the gas station on I-35 at the Stillwater exit and the brisket there was surprisingly good - like I will probably add it into a regular road trip rotation good.