Following a three-month investigation, the state of Oregon is seeking $36.2 million in damages from
By comparison, the funds benchmark rose 5% in 2008, according to state officials, who not only called the portfolio managers investment choices inappropriate but hedge-fund like.
The lawsuit says the fund company was negligent, violated state securities laws, breached its contract and failed to meet its fiduciary duty. It also notes that
We are taking action on behalf of Oregon families whose college accounts were batteredand their financial futures jeopardizedbecause of OppenheimerFunds, the state treasurer said. Families were doing the right thing and saving for college, but unknown to them or Oregon, their money was invested in ways that were plainly inappropriate for those saving for college or already in college.