Interim Health Commissioner Preston Doerflinger.

Joe Wertz / StateImpact Oklahoma

Feds Now Investigating Oklahoma State Department of Health

  • Jackie Fortiér
Interim Health Commissioner Preston Doerflinger.

Joe Wertz / StateImpact Oklahoma

Interim Health Commissioner Preston Doerflinger.

The Oklahoma Attorney General’s office on Tuesday said a probe into alleged mismanagement of roughly $30 million from the Oklahoma State Department of Health has expanded to include investigators from the FBI and the  U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

You should know: This confirms testimony Interim Health Commissioner Preston Doerflinger gave to a House investigative committee that at least some of the money under scrutiny was in accounts restricted to federal programs administered by the state agency. Authorities are trying to unravel the financial mess, which almost forced the agency to miss its payroll, required a stop-gap emergency cash infusion from lawmakers and led to layoffs. A grand jury investigation could also mean criminal charges.