AG Hunter Files Petition Seeking Money for Failed PPE Order

OKLAHOMA CITY – Attorney General Mike Hunter today filed a petition in district court, requesting over $1.8 million he says a company owes back to the state for not delivering four orders of personal protective equipment (PPE) the Oklahoma Department of Health placed in March.

The state alleges Casey Bradford, who is co-manager and an owner of PPE Supplies LLC, misrepresented facts to the state that if he were paid up front for half the cost of one purchase order, he could expedite the shipment of protective masks for delivery to the state within two weeks.

Officials with the Department of Health made the 50 percent deposit of $2.125 million for 1.2 million masks.

Attorney General Hunter said his office has exhausted other remedies for reimbursement from Bradford.

“The state cannot afford to be left on the hook for that money, which funds critical programs for Oklahomans,” Attorney General Hunter said. “It’s unfortunate, but when traditional mediation methods fail, our only option is through the court system. We refuse to stand idle when a vendor doesn’t uphold their end of an agreement, especially during a global pandemic when there will be real consequences for Oklahomans and the Department of Health if that money is not returned.”

PPE Supplies LLC was formed on March 23, the same day the first purchase order was made by the Department of Health.

Toward the end of March, Bradford said the shipment was delayed, but half of the 1 million masks purchased should be in Oklahoma City in a few days.

In April, and after the state had still not received its order, Bradford told officials he was going to China to supervise the shipment of masks because the issue was with the shipment process.

The state later discovered Bradford and his company’s assurance of having an on-hand supply of masks in China to fill the orders was false.

After the Department of Health cancelled all four orders, officials asked for the $2.125 million deposit back. Bradford has only refunded a partial payment of $300,000.

To date, no other refunds have been made to the state.

Read the petition, here: https://bit.ly/2NvZHiQ.