The U.S. attorney’s office in Oklahoma City confirmed an investigation is under way in the alleged embezzlement of $2.6 million from the Oklahoma Beef Council, which uses checkoff funds from rancher and feedlot operators to promote beef, says Harvest Public Media. The beef council filed suit last fall to recover the money from a former employee but few details have been made available.
The council said an audit last year found “possible criminal activity” without offering specifics. The council’s executive director told Harvest Public Media and StateImpact Oklahoma last week that the audit is “a critical piece in an ongoing federal criminal investigation.”
“News of the alleged embezzlement and the attempt by the council to keep it secret gave critics of what’s called the beef checkoff program more fodder,” said Harvest Public Media. Critics say the beef checkoff operates with little oversight. The chairman of the Oklahoma Beef Council said discovery of the missing funds “has been a devastating blow” to a self-help program.