Waste of the Day: Fake Roof Repairs In Tulsa
Oklahoma’s largest school district allegedly paid $2.6 million to a company owned by one of its executives — for architectural work that was never performed, according to a state audit released on Aug. 18.
Key facts: Chris Hudgins, executive director of bond & energy management at Tulsa Public Schools, directly oversaw the district’s construction projects. He allegedly awarded contracts to the construction firm Allied Engineering Group at inflated costs, the audit found.
Allied then hired M&G Consulting Services — a company Hudgins has owned since 1999 — to perform most of the work. Allied kept a fee of 5%, and Hudgins pocketed 95% of the taxpayer money, the audit claims.
Allied’s two co-owners admitted they billed the school district for roof repairs and interior renovations that M&G Consulting Services never actually completed, according to the audit.
Hudgins also directed Tulsa Public Schools to hire GLD Consulting — owned by three of Allied’s employees — to help the district apply for energy efficiency rebates from the State of Oklahoma’s utility company, auditors found.
The district received $1.8 million in rebates from 2021 to 2025, but GLD Consulting was allowed to keep $548,000 as a service fee. The 30% fee rate was astronomical; previous companies had only been allowed to keep 5% of the school district’s rebates.
GLD Consulting appeared to be formed for the sole purpose of working on the rebates, auditors said. The company accepted almost no other business from other customers, the audit found.
“Numerous” emails showed Hudgins spent time on his consulting firm work during the school day.
Hudgins resigned in early 2025. Criminal charges were filed against him and Allied’s co-owners in June 2026.
The audit also placed blame on the school district for its poor oversight. The school board approved work orders without reviewing the actual contracts, and invoices were paid without proof of work or an itemized list of services provided.
Employees at Tulsa Public Schools made up to $367,000 in 2025, according to Open the Books’ database.
Summary: Getting an “A” is easy when nobody is checking to see if any work was completed.
The #WasteOfTheDay is brought to you by the forensic auditors at OpenTheBooks.com.
