The Deputy Director over the Investigations Division, or his/her designee, may be authorized by the State Auditor to meet in a closed session with a public body to discuss preliminary investigative findings, to give public officials notice of demands for recovery of public funds or Jon Salem, who was fired from the council in August, said he was fired for bringing forward concerns that the council was misspending grant money, including those from local government. Last year we recovered nearly $2 million, Auditor White said. Advertising Non-Discrimination Certification. The agency notified the city on April 5, urging leaders to reimplement residential collections, saying the temporary drop-off sites were not adequate to handle the citys needs. Anderson said, Our counsel, Mr. Piggot, has already been reaching out to a number of them inviting them to come sit down and talk with us and tell their side of the story. Program Auditors | Mississippi State Personnel Board - MS Job announcements include. Copyright 2023 WLBT. But Bryants responsibility in directly supervising his welfare department director and the fact that some of the taxpayer money flowed to people and programs favored by the former governor are notably missing from his extensive audit report. Accounting firm CliftonLarsonAllen released a 175-page independent audit looking at fraud claims between Jan. 1, 2016, to Dec. 31, 2019. That wasnt a part of the thinking or the conversation., Lumumba told members the auditor later raised questions about the citys legal expenses, but the investigation was not initiated by his office. He later added, "when you read this one-hundred-plus page audit, you will see that, if there was a way to misspend money, it seems DHS leadership or their grantees thought of it and tried it. March 23, 2023 JACKSON, Miss. Fax: 601.576.2687 Bryants appointment of his former campaign manager and policy director White as state auditor in 2018 was something of a surprise to most political observers. The state auditor's office also declined to provide further details, citing the need to protect an ongoing investigation. ", He said in the two-page letter to Garland that "failure to investigate may lead to the impression that DOJ is continuing the previous administration's pattern of looking the other way when laws are broken by white state officials, especially when the wrongdoing disproportionately harms minorities. . All rights reserved. But in an October 2021 interview with Mississippi Today before the judge strengthened thegag order in the case to further restrict White the auditor said he had not seen instances of Bryant directing his welfare chief to spend federal money on specific programs. The Auditors demand accounts for nearly 12,000 unfilled mandatory shifts at the Marshall County facility from 2017 to 2020. White and numerous other officials have declined comment on the case for months citing a gag order from a state judge. Click here to subscribe to our newsletter. Today State Auditor Shad White announced former Coahoma Community College employees Gwendolyn Jefferson and Stacie Neal were each sentenced to serve five years in prison. Agency Directory. William Winter, whom I worked for as governor and a little bit on a campaign and I was his legal counsel, Mabus said. Find out what jobs are open by sending an email to Recruitment@osa.ms.gov or follow the instructions below. The fight has resulted in at least eight lawsuits, including one that was settled last week. Recouping taxpayer monies part of State Auditor's focus Alyssa Bass/Mississippi Today, Special to Clarion Ledger, an audit conducted on behalf of the federal government for the fiscal year ending in June 2020, a quarter of Mississippians receive Medicaid benefits, it reached a $55.5 million settlement with Centene, An investigation into whether UnitedHealth, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. largest civil recovery after an auditors investigation in the history of the office, and concluded cases that, collectively, led to hundreds Churchill, a former Town Clerk of Hickory Flat, was indicted and arrested for embezzlement in April of 2022. - Last week Governor Tate Reeves signed HB 405, a key piece of State Auditor Shad White's 2023 legislative agenda. . It would potentially be approving an unauthorized expenditure, said Williamson. With 176,000 Mississippians without healthcare, the state has chosen not to expand Medicaid. They show the two men telling Bryant the company had received public funds, and that the governor intended to make his own business deal with Prevacus after he left office. "We are still early in our investigation," said Colby . Deputy Director, Criminal Investigations Division: Mississippi, USA bxxxxxd@osa.ms.gov: Fletcher Freeman: Deputy Director Of Communications: Mississippi, USA . As for other efforts to recoup mishandled funds, in the FY 2022 Audit Exceptions Report, Auditor White said the Investigations Law Enforcement Division issued eighty-seven formal demands for a total of $101,026,109.27 and recovered misspent or embezzled funds totaling $1,926,802.10. In 2009 he was sentenced to two years in federal prison for his role in a judicial bribery case. Today State Auditor Shad White announced former Hancock County Coroner James Faulk has been indicted on multiple charges. Two top advocacy groups are accusing Mississippi State Auditor Shad White of misleading Mississippians with a report claiming that up to 5% of Mississippians receiving Medicaid do so fraudulently.White announced in a statement on Tuesday that his office had discovered that the Mississippi Division of Medicaid was "potentially handing out millions to ineligible people." The attention was drawn from them to the city, he said. Shad went on to earn degrees from the University of Mississippi, Lumumba said the city did initiate a conversation with the auditor, but it was related to a question on whether he could declare an emergency over garbage pickups. Meanwhile, USM must find some. Today State Auditor Shad White announced Stephanie Churchill has pleaded guilty to embezzlement in Benton County Circuit Court. <>/ExtGState<>/XObject<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/MediaBox[ 0 0 612 792] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>> 2023 www.clarionledger.com. ", Johnson urged "in the strongest possible terms to take immediate action to investigate and prosecute those involved in this massive theft of federal funds.". The state auditor and Mississippi attorney general are investigating whether Centene Corp., as a provider of Medicaid drug services, failed to disclose discounts on pharmacy services . Indictment. That is what actually led to the meeting, the mayor said. The new law increases the statute of limitations on bribery from three years to five years. music minister at their small country church, and his mother played the organ. Our investigators have proven we will take on the biggest cases down to the smallest to protect taxpayer dollars, said Auditor White. Former Mississippi Gov. the law, and earned a certificate in forensic accounting (the use of accounting to discover fraud) from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. State Auditor, AG investigating Centene on allegations it pocketed endstream Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license. Council President Ashby Foote disagreed with the decision to pull the item, saying the city needs to pay its bills. P.O. AccelerateMS. The others indicted include Nancy New, the former owner of the Mississippi Community Education Center (MCEC); her son, Zach New, the assistant executive director of the MCEC; and former Department of Human Services employee Gregory "Latimer" Smith. Jv|,w\7"|L\M$E9VzT);2op)7=mi+uUv( wRP3LA3$H.~1q^T_JWN?yAKDMcJ.anLNm"'[:[^[kirKe(d)Cb 9,j\Vs?O'm=BcJ&i&#f9YmVpeo cU%&[ ^/^\"rH&uwoNu|"ROyVV[Ht&jwQ\=.Mut|qHr\la4#v/v 2cC.+:RBaGB]VJ7V Her background in political science helps her cut through the noise to find and explain the truth. r&s1jF&00_oc\] The text messages between Bryant, the owner of Prevacus and retired NFL star Brett Favre have been in the possession of the auditors office for more than two years. The council had refused to pay Richards because it never approved a contract. Ware appointed as new Director of Investigations for State Auditor's Office At least two Mississippi Medicaid recipients are making six figures and living in million-dollar homes, according to State Auditor Shad White, and he wants legislators to strengthen Medicaid investigators powers as a result. White has said that after his initial eight-month investigation and arrests, he has involved federal authorities and turned over everything his investigators have. State of Mississippi The council did not immediately approve a new contract with the company and residents were left without pickups for approximately two weeks. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. the State Auditor in Jackson or to the public body. Especially if I wasnt going to take strong action on it, I would turn it over to somebody else.. k"=z@T Hurst, a Trump administration appointee who left office in early 2021, declined a recent request for comment on the case. We talked with the city attorney about that, and I wasnt satisfied with her answer, Foote said. Perhaps you can help explain their interest level at this time.. Internships On Tuesday, the council voted down the claims docket after an item to pay approximately $45,000 in councils attorneys fees was pulled from it at the behest of the City Attorneys Office. Auditors were able to find the fraud by examining the beneficiaries state income tax returns and comparing them to the income listed on their applications, according to the report. He also said that the letter of engagement with the firm in question included the $375 for when its senior partner participated. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? While at Millsaps, Summerhays received a Legislative Fellowship with the Womens Foundation of Mississippi where she worked with an active member of the Mississippi Legislature for the length of session. Look for the "Republish This Story" button underneath each story. In December 2022, OSA announced that over the last four years, the office has recovered millions of dollars. State Auditor 'looking into' UnitedHealth as part of Medicaid pharmacy Continue Reading, JACKSON, Miss. READ MORE: Phil Bryant had his sights on a payout as welfare funds flowed to Brett Favre. Bryant was actually the whistleblower who prompted the auditors office investigation. Anna Wolfe, a native of Tacoma, Wa., is an investigative reporter writing about poverty and economic justice. He said the mayors independent attorney had filed a motion the same day the memo was released referencing a confidential document that was going to be filed Monday questioning whether the council had the legal authority to hire outside counsel. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. State auditor talks about duties, current investigations. You get those complaints that come in, and its what did you know and when did you know it. Former Auditor Stacey Pickering, whom Bryant replaced with White, declined comment. "The Auditor's investigation revealed MTC failed to appropriately notify and credit MDOC when its staffing levels at the Marshall County facility fell below the minimum amount required by the contract," the press release added. These exceptions involved miscellaneous, disallowed expenditures by chancery clerks and circuit clerks and are recorded as paid in full and settled to the appropriate fund directly.'. 7 0 obj All rights reserved. We believe the taxpayers of Mississippi deserve no less., By joining our newsletter, you are confirming that you agree with the Privacy Policy. Some instances of Medicaid fraud are more egregious than others. The rule that I lived by was if there is any question whatsoever, dont do it, said Pete Johnson, who served as state auditor from 1988-1992, and ran unsuccessfully for governor, losing to Kirk Fordice in the Republican primary in 1991. Six people including John Davis, have been indicted on state charges in the case. Scanlon told WLBT previously that the memo was drawn up to hurt the councils chances in that case. Mississippi Auditor: Prison Company Must Pay $2 Million for No-Show Workers The agency notified the city on April 5, urging leaders to reimplement residential collections, saying the temporary drop-off sites were not adequate to handle the citys needs. <> We prefer Author Name, Mississippi Today in the byline. JACKSON, Miss. As part of its contract to operate the MDOC prison in Marshall County, MTC developed minimum mandatory staffing levels to ensure the safety of inmates and prison staff. And when those facts are looming out there, youve got to back off and ask will my involvement jeopardize the integrity of the investigation I think (White) is a man of high integrity, but you asked me personally what I would do and thats it.. All rights reserved.). Photo by Kayode Crown . In a text message Tuesday afternoon, Scanlon also addressed the discrepancy mentioned by Williamson, saying the companys engagement letter with the city clearly lays out the rate for Senior Partner Jerry Mills. Indictment, Brett DiBiase Pleads Guilty in Federal Court, Former City of Jackson Constituent Services Manager Pleads Guilty, Auditor White Hosts Panel Discussion on the Importance of Present Fathers. [ @5 Y02YUU (s %I ea ) }Pr"aTH6 xRN State Auditor Shad White issued the following statement after Brett DiBiase entered a guilty plea in federal court: Continue Reading, JACKSON, Miss. Transparency They wont say. Continue Reading, JACKSON, Miss. She has quickly established trust in the Capitol as a fair, honest, and hardworking young reporter. "This new law is important because white-collar crime gets more and more complex every year," said Auditor White. Its mind-boggling that Mr. Favre wants to have a trial about that question. Millions of dollars from the Mississippi Department of Human Services were misspent for personal use by grant recipients, on family members and friends of staffers, according to an audit released by State Auditor Shad White. The NAACP called on Attorney General Merrick Garland to investigate years of allegations of widespread welfare fraud and misspending in Mississippi totaling over $94 million, according to a letter obtained exclusively by ABC News. 8d However today, the Auditors office says PBMs are large corporations that have incredible power in the pharmaceutical industry. Shad White, the Mississippi state auditor, right, and Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens discuss the auditor's office investigation about millions in federal money meant for the poor, in . Fax: 601.576.2687 Bryant said at the time that he wanted someone with independence who did not have numerous political relationships and ties to the government officials and institutions he would be auditing. Originally from Florence, Mississippi, Pender is a journalism graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi and has received numerous awards throughout his career for reporting, columns and freedom of information efforts. Since Auditor Shad White arrested Gov. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Mississippi State Auditor Shad White, right, confers with fellow Republican and Gov. Asked about this, the auditor's office confirmed it was indeed investigating the matter on behalf of taxpayers. But the findings are statistically significant and can be reasonably extrapolated, according to Stephanie Palmertree, director of finance and compliance at the State Auditors Office. Published: Apr. But shortly after the arrests, White said that then-Gov. Published in April 2022, the explosive investigation exposed corruption in Mississippi's dysfunctional welfare system, which deprived the poorest US state of millions of federal dollars that was intended to address widespread poverty. Internships It is ultimately going to be the discretion of the feds to determine who is culpable in this case.. The guilty pleas were recorded in Judge Charles E. Websters courtroom today. Anne McGrew, an accountant for the MCEC, pleaded guilty in October 2021 to one charge of conspiracy to commit embezzlement. Founded in 2016 as the states first nonprofit, nonpartisan newsroom, Mississippi Todays roots in Capitol coverage have grown to encompass a myriad of beats beyond politics and policy, including education, public health, justice, environment, equity, and, yes, sports. Mississippi Office of the State Auditor | 1,098 followers on LinkedIn. The item pulled from claims was for work Mills, Scanlon, Dye & Pittman did to defend the council in 2022 Richards Disposal suit. Documents obtained by WLBT earlier this month showed Auditor Shad White had launched an inquiry into the councils legal expenses related to its nearly two-year-long battle with the mayor over garbage pickup. 3 0 obj Six people have been indicted on state charges in the case. As for the amount charged for billable hours, Banks said if there was an amount charged that was not approved in the councils order, it does need to be changed. 5 0 obj The company reported over $257 billion in revenue last year. Pharmacy benefit managers, or PBMs, are third-party groups that negotiate drug prices with pharmaceutical companies and drug stores. JACKSON, Miss. Continue Reading. To republish online, simply click the button, copy the html code and paste into your Content Management System (CMS). endobj - Today State Auditor Shad White announced former Hancock County Coroner James Faulk has been indicted on multiple charges. 6 0 obj Nancy New told The Clarion-Ledger in 2020, "I just have to say that I think there's a lot more information to come and we're just waiting our turn.". endobj If MTC does not make payment on the demand within 30 days, the case will be transmitted to the Mississippi Attorney Generals Office for litigation. In his time as State Auditor, Shad Whites team has stopped the largest public fraud in state history, made the ", White said in 2020 after the indictments, "This is an example of money going to or should have gone to folks who needed it through a federal program, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). Mississippi Department of Human Services Executive Director Bob Anderson says though the State Auditor issued civil demands to eleven individuals and groups earlier this week, the agency will continue working with former U.S. Attorney Brad Piggot on the criminal investigation. Anna Wolfe answers questions about welfare scandal - Mississippi Today Prior to becoming Auditor, White served as a special prosecutor, won ethics cases against politicians who broke State Auditor's Claims About Wealthy Receiving Medicaid Were Misleading Mississippi State Auditor Shad White alleged that money set aside from the federal government for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) programs were misappropriated under the leadership of John Davis, then-head of the Mississippi Department of Human Services, according to the letter. The investigation could include names not already released in civil complaints issued this week by State Auditor Shad White. Our goal is to not only recoup these funds, but to hold all appropriate parties accountable for fraud, waste, and abuse related to the federal block grant because ultimately the state of Mississippi will be held accountable for these misused funds in the amount that U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) determines was misused. Our stories may appear on pages with ads, but not ads specifically sold against our stories. announced a $55 million settlement with Centene, it opted to extend the contract for another year, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. The council did not immediately approve a new contract with the company and residents were left without pickups for approximately two weeks. We believe that an informed Mississippi is a better Mississippi. - Today State Auditor Shad White announced former Hancock County Coroner James Faulk has been indicted on multiple charges. endobj Please click here to report it and include the headline of the story in your email. NAACP calls on Justice Department to investigate Mississippi welfare But some holes in the audit have since emerged, especially relating to Bryants involvement behind the scenes. (601) 321-6000 Email Website Facebook Twitter. Richards filed its first complaint against the mayor and council last summer for failing to pay the company for trash collection services. Steve Patterson was state auditor from 1992 to 1996, when he resigned after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge of using a false affidavit to buy a car tag. %PDF-1.5 Whites relationship with Bryant goes back more than a decade. White at the time said that his office moved swiftly and without notifying or involving federal authorities so as to halt the scheme before any more money was misspent or stolen. We are confident that as this process moves forward, any entity (including those not named in the civil complaints), will be identified and held accountable. One of the recipients of almost $1.1 million in welfare funds was former Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre, who lives in Mississippi. endobj The NAACP's Johnson said in his letter, "these apparent crimes were ignored by DOJ under your predecessor Attorney General, and we are calling on you to take action that is long overdue. White also faced questions early on and criticism from the U.S. Attorneys Office as to why he didnt promptly bring in federal authorities, who have massive investigative resources, particularly since the malfeasance involved federal tax dollars. White said in a 2020 press conference the case was the "most egregious misspending my staff have seen in their careers at the Office of the State Auditor." Careers Voting along with him were Ward 5 Councilman Vernon Hartley and Ward 6 Councilman Aaron Banks. You can only publish select stories individually not as a collection. "It doesn't look good." Former Gov. (WLBT) - More details are emerging about the state auditor's investigation into the Jackson City Council's legal expenses, as are accusations about what sparked the state's inquiry. An early oddity in the auditors probe came when White went to the Hinds County District Attorneys Office notoriously understaffed and suffering huge backlogs of cases after he launched an eight-month investigation without notifying federal authorities. Black Jackson Fathers Dispel Myths As State Auditor Focuses on All rights reserved. In this May 4, 2020, file photo, Mississippi State Auditor Shad White speaks during a news conference in Jackson, Miss. The nation's poorest state used welfare money to pay Brett Favre for Continue Reading, P.O. Phone: 601.576.2800 As a result of this investigation, a settlement was reached in the amount of $55.5 Million. endobj Lee O. Sanderlin is an investigative and political reporter covering the state of Mississippi. In June 2021, the State of Mississippi reached a $55.5 million settlement with the Centene Corporation and their PBM thanks to this investigation, OSA said in the report. Those oversights are costing the state money, White said. I dont vote on claims for several reasons, he said. By Cindy Boren. MDHS continues criminal investigation into misspent TANF funds, Former U.S. Attorney Brad Piggot is assisting with the investigation, Truck possibly connected to Hinds County jail escape found in Newton County, Teen arrested after two dead, four others injured in Bay St. Louis shooting, Paraplegic fisherman speaks to Beulah Baptist Church, Eleven players with Mississippi ties selected in 2023 NFL Draft, City of Byram awarded thousands of state dollars for infrastructure projects, Belhaven football puts a smile on the face of little girl, First Alert Forecast: mild breezes Monday; rain, storm chances return late week, Request a First Alert Weather School Visit, Advertising Non-Discrimination Certification. The Office of State Auditor Shad White has issued the following statement: Everything Auditor White has said about this case is true and is backed by years of audit work by the professionals at the Office of the State Auditor. ( WJTV) - On Monday, State Auditor Shad White announced Larry Ware has been named the new Director of Investigations at the Mississippi . <> Mills voluntarily reduced his hours by so much on our first bill that his effective rate was $183 per hour, and the city is aware of that discount we gave to the city, Scanlon said. The Mississippi Department of Human Services said in a statement Monday to ABC News: "The Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS) has been in limited, one-way communication with the federal authorities. Phone: 601.576.2800 The auditor's office has been investigating several of the state's pharmacy benefit management contractors since 2019, after hiring Ridgeland-based law firm Liston & Deas on the state's.