Wednesday, March 4, Oklahoma State Auditor and Inspector Cindy Byrd released the findings of her extensive audit of the Oklahoma Turnpike Authority (OTA) requested by Oklahoma Attorney General Genter Drummond. The audit, in PDF format, is posted with this story.

After the release, AG Drummond issued the following statement, “While the audit did not uncover criminal misconduct, the findings should not be mistaken for an agency’s clean bill of health. The audit made clear the need for increased oversight, accountability and transparency at the OTA. A court finding that an agency willfully violated the Open Meetings Act is not a case of bureaucratic red tape. It is a signal that an agency believes it can operate beyond the scrutiny of the public it serves. I urge the OTA’s leadership to take the audit’s findings seriously and use this as an opportunity for meaningful reform. My office will continue to monitor the OTA’s operations and will not hesitate to act should future conduct warrant further review.”