The Paper

Aug
17

2020

Page
022
Clip
resized
53%

Property of OPS News Tracker and members of the Oklahoma Press Association.
 Muskogee Phoenix
2 Thursday, September 10, 2020
AROUND OKLAHOMA
Sep
10
Trial set for battle over
funds from charter school
2020
Page
OKLAHOMA CITY — A
judge has set a trial date
for a legal battle involv-
ing Oklahoma’s attempt
to review financial
A002 records from a private
Clip company that manages
resized
58% a public charter school.
District Judge Natalie
Mai set the trial date for
Dec. 16, The Oklahoman
reported Wednesday.
State Auditor and
Inspector Cindy Byrd
said Epic Youth Services,
which manages Epic
Charter Schools, has
refused to provide her
office with records of
Epic’s Learning Fund— a
bank account that pays
$1,000 per student for
extracurricular activities,
technology costs and
supplemental curricula.
Byrd has tried obtain-
ing those document as
part of an audit of the
school and company at
the request of Gov. Kev-
in Stitt. But Epic Youth
maintains that the re-
cords are private.
State investigators al-
leged Epic used the fund
to embezzle taxpayer
funds. Epic has denied
any wrongdoing.
Attorneys represent-
ing Epic Youth said
those funds are no lon-
ger public once they’re
paid to a private compa-
ny, and they shouldn’t
be submitted for the
audit.
The Oklahoma State-
wide Virtual Charter
School Board, which
oversees the Epic One-
on-One virtual school,
argued in a friend-of-
Property of OPS News Tracker and members of the Oklahoma Press Association.
the-court brief that state
auditors should have ac-
cess to those records.
L
Joe Exotic formally requests
pardon, maintains innocence
fi
OKLAHOMA CITY — A
former Oklahoma zoo-
keeper sentenced to 22
years in prison for his O
role in a murder-for- —
hire plot and violating su
federal wildlife laws has an
formally requested a iti
pardon. th
Attorneys for Joseph ru
Maldonado-Passage, ca
also known as “Joe Exot- pr
ic,” filed his application da
Tuesday with the U.S. A
Department of Justice. In ar
it, attorneys for Maldo- an
nado-Passage, 57, say he tes
maintains his innocence tec
and that he was “rail- sa
roaded and betrayed” by pr
others. Le
“Joseph is scheduled as
to be released from (Bu- 5,0
reau of Prisons) custody T
in 2037; however, with sit
his comprised health, he ers
will likely die in prison,” les
attorneys wrote in the A
257-page application. pa
“He humbly requests a th
pardon to correct the lev
injustices he has expe- res
rienced and to have the ho
opportunity to return cil
to providing meaning-
ful contributions to his
community.”
The application also
includes several charac-
ter affidavits, letters of
support and various trial
documents. A spokes-
woman for the Depart-
ment of Justice said it
would be premature to
comment on the appli-
cation.
— Wire reports
 Stillwater NewsPress

Stillwater News Pre

AROUND
OKLAHOMA F
Trial set for battle By
over funds from ahu
Oklahoma charter
school St
wi
OKLAHOMA CITY
in
– A judge has set a
Sep trial date for a legal
battle involving Okla-
m

10 homa’s attempt to re-

view financial records
from a private com-
pany that manages a
public charter school.
P
2020 District Judge Na-
talie Mai set the trial
Co
date for Dec. 16, The th
Oklahoman reported
Wednesday. Ta
Page State Auditor and
Inspector Cindy Byrd
m
Sc
A002 said Epic Youth Ser-
vices, which manages
pr
wh
Epic Charter Schools, pu
has refused to provide ar
Clip her office with re- de
resized cords of Epic’s Learn-
ing Fund – a bank
go
ga
25% account that pays
$1,000 per student for Gr
extracurricular activ- ab
ities, technology costs an
and supplemental cur-
ricula. ev
Byrd has tried
obtaining those doc-
ument as part of an
audit of the school
and company at the
request of Gov. Kevin
S
Stitt. But Epic Youth
maintains that the re- Co
cords are private.
State investigators
alleged Epic used the Co
fund to embezzle tax- we
payer funds. Epic has wh
denied any wrongdo- th
ing. fir
– AP al
we
wh
Sen. David awarded tre
wa
Oklahoma Medal of M
Freedom –
wh
OKLAHOMA CITY yo
– Senate Majority th
Leader Kim David is ho
the latest Oklahoman ha
to receive the Oklaho- co
ma National Guard’s
highest civilian honor – na
The Oklahoma Medal se
of Freedom. David, the m
wife and mother of cur- co
rent and former guard wi
members, was honored Th
for her work in the ar
Senate over the past wh
decade on behalf of the ho
Oklahoma National
Guard and its mem-
bers. Previous recipi-
ents of the prestigious
award include former
governors George
B
Nigh, Frank Keating Co
and Brad Henry.
“I am grateful and H
humbled to receive the Br
Oklahoma Medal of wa
Freedom. Through the wo
service of my husband, ga
son and daughter, I ed
know full well the sac- ge
rifices and risks faced wh
by our guard members, ca
and how they selflessly flo
give their all for their It
communities, this state co
and our great nation,” Co
said David, R-Porter. ru
“It is an honor and a an
privilege to be able to co
work on their behalf in wa
the Oklahoma Senate.” fo
The supporting cita- an
tion for David’s award an
points to her legislative tr
efforts in the mental it
health and quality of ni
life arenas which have pe
provided Oklahoma re
Guard members ad- in
ditional resources to kn
address their unique Iw
needs. David worked m
hand in hand with or
Joint Force Headquar- ad
ters Military Personnel
Branch (J1) to craft wh
and introduce Senate th
Bill 690, also known Br
as the Guard Advoca- to
cy Program. The bill, pr
which was signed into gr
law in 2017, was de- de
signed to facilitate and m
increase access to com- m
munity resources that lik
improve health, social se
support, and produc- pe
tivity, preventing nega- an
tive lifestyles and crisis th
issues from developing
into behavioral health to
emergencies. m
– Oklahoma State of
Senate ac
lon

Property of OPS News Tracker and members of the Oklahoma Press Association.