NAACP President Derrick Johnson called on the Department of Justice "to aggressively investigate and prosecute those responsible for the massive theft of federal funds that apparently took place in Mississippi in fiscal years 2017 through 2019." "This new law is important because white-collar crime gets more and more complex every year," said Auditor White. 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. xY]o6}7pbf8i3kx`^xsn;)L}/zE'tAHdqvAv5\b:9:X4IqGN;Z7nTWz3\TFSt7"hUZ2m+(GqrI((9}*JA4p&HAittQ:YIX}0|("8viY0m|k@d(Fs >)% d( ,w@VD Cj x@ dPm RAB a endobj Got a story tip? the University of Oxford, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar, and Harvard Law School. 7 0 obj Several individuals in the case have accepted plea deals including former professional wrestler Brett DiBiase, who pleaded guilty in 2020 to a single count of making fraudulent statements for the purpose of defrauding the government. The guilty plea was recorded in Judge J. Kelley Luthers courtroom. In 2021 an investigation into PBMS resulted in a $55 million settlement, OSA said. 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 . Commissioner of Mississippi Department of Corrections and Local . The Mississippi Today investigation revealed that the former governor assisted a company called Prevacus, which improperly received welfare money, and he was poised to receive stock in the company until Whites office made arrests and announced its investigation. Six people have been indicted on state charges in the case. Most of the misappropriated funds are alleged to have been stolen through a now-dissolved anti-poverty program called Families First for Mississippi, co-operated by the Mississippi Community Education Center, according to the audit. Legislative Update Look, if youre going to give the taxpayers confidence that investigations are being done impartially and objectively, even if this one is being done that way, its never going to look that way because of their closeness, and nobodys going to believe that punches werent pulled, Mabus said. Auditor Claims State Paid 'Ghost Workers' at Privately Run Prison manager, for charging Medicaid more than the allowed price cap. The state auditor investigation division is responsible for the investigation of alleged or suspected violations of Mississippi law, including fraud and embezzlement by public officials related to . endobj If youre not able to add the byline, please include a line at the top of the story that reads: This story was originally published by Mississippi Today and include our website, You cannot republish our editorial cartoons, photographs, illustrations or graphics without specific permission (contact our managing editor. The Mississippi Office of the State Auditor assisted with the investigation. State Rep. Chris Bell (D) will serve as the new MLBC Chair as Sen. Angela Turner-Ford (D) chose not to seek the post for another term. White also said then that it was the welfare directors duty to reject improper requests from the governor, not the governors responsibility to know the rules and laws. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Do Reeves, Gunn consider IUDs contraceptives? (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File - Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. No further arrests have been made since February of 2020 . One of the recipients of almost $1.1 million in welfare funds was former Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre, who lives in Mississippi. JACKSON, Miss. Last year we recovered nearly $2 million, Auditor White said. Adult Protective Services: Mississippi Department of Human Services. The spotlight on White has grown more intense in the wake of Mississippi Todays The Backchannel investigation, which showed Bryant using private texts to influence his welfare director and try to broker a deal with a pharmaceutical startup that enticed him with stock in the company. The fraud allegations were first revealed in 2020 by state prosecutors in one of the largest cases involving embezzlement claims in state history. following organizations: State Auditor Shad Whites close connections with former Gov. Independent pharmacies across the state are pushing back at what they call unfair practices when it comes to PBM reimbursement.. When asked for comment about this alleged fraud, a Mississippi Division of Medicaid spokesperson said it was the divisions own investigators who originally caught the fraud. 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. She also received first place in the regional Green Eyeshade Awards in 2021 for Public Service in Online Journalism and 2020 for Business Reporting, and the local Bill Minor Prize for Investigative Journalism in 2019 and 2018 for reporting on unfair medical billing practices and hunger in the Mississippi Delta. Instead of paying New York litigators to try this case, hed be better off fully repaying the amount of welfare funds he owes the state., JACKSON, Miss. In a state where about a quarter of Mississippians receive Medicaid benefits, a sampling of 180 peoplemay feel small. He also said that the letter of engagement with the firm in question included the $375 for when its senior partner participated. To those families, I say, I'm incredibly sorry that this money did not go to your benefit as it should have. The state auditor's office also declined to provide further details, citing the need to protect an ongoing investigation. DHS concealed alleged fraud after welfare scandal - Mississippi Today The auditors office refused to turn the messages over to Mississippi Today after a public records request, and the outlet has a pending Ethics Commission records complaint against the office. The famed quarterback and Mississippi native received $1.1 million in funds from a nonprofit whose . PDF AUDIT EXCEPTIONS REPORT For Fiscal Year 2021 Sarah Warnock/Mississippi Clarion Ledger via USA Today Network, FILE. Continue Reading. READ MORE: Phil Bryant had his sights on a payout as welfare funds flowed to Brett Favre. Mississippi is now taking steps to give investigators more time to look into bribery cases. $V1\_wf^_W1obsY,(b>3*joxu9&x^?jxVf+,#?Yu_#po"iRxE4?Rh[V6tXHPI,:B59+Y T White has pointed to slow action by federal authorities as justification for his agency investigating and making the arrests. Ware appointed as new Director of Investigations for State Auditor's Office Ole Miss shows they have some fight left in them. In 2021, she joined Yall Politics as a Capitol Correspondent. JACKSON, Miss. 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. Careers Foote was one of three members that voted down the claims docket out of protest to the item being removed. Mabus said that given Whites ties to Bryant, he should have handed off his lead role in investigating to someone else. Attorneys for Nancy and Zach New did not respond to a request for comment from ABC News. Asked about this, the auditor's office confirmed it was indeed investigating the matter on behalf of taxpayers. Anderson says MDHS will hold all appropriate parties accountable for fraud, waste, and abuse related to the federal block grant money. The new law increases the statute of limitations on bribery from three years to five years. Program Auditors | Mississippi State Personnel Board - MS Today State Auditor Shad White announced former Hancock County Coroner James Faulk has been indicted on multiple charges. The total amount of funds recovered by the Office of the State Auditor for Fiscal Year ending June 30, 2022, was $1,960,926.57. Both lawsuits say the legislation - HB 1020 - disenfranchises black Jacksonians and infringes on their rights as citizens. However today, the Auditors office says PBMs are large corporations that have incredible power in the pharmaceutical industry. 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. read more 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. Centene also received two contract extensions. 8 0 obj 2023 www.clarionledger.com. 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.
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