All others, we audit. Shad, youre welcome to use that.. Questions about if and when Whites office alerted other authorities to the text messages remain. 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. Neither person is named in the report because the investigation is ongoing. 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. When asked why the item was removed, Deputy City Attorney Terry Williamson said the city attorneys office made the decision after the state auditor reached out regarding the bills and after city legal noticed discrepancies in the hourly rate approved by the council and the amount charged by the attorney. 24/7 coverage of breaking news and live events. Both lawsuits say the legislation - HB 1020 - disenfranchises black Jacksonians and infringes on their rights as citizens. BX)VPaz]o^8{c?d>qYS{~/$q}r8KL=y|11#fOi+x4?&bqPV@dAN/^3R9tIPG_JmDEZ=}:;8)G9uuwn|IfXN du.wf*Q@4.6V&P\7>x[x~^=W%C:[`=KsypRVRCG isvJeJZ[KShL=o_D@4PLd__0wn:-U=i7?k=y+\4b Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. On the weekends, his father was Centene also received two contract extensions. Our investigators have proven we will take on the biggest cases down to the smallest to protect taxpayer dollars, said Auditor White. The total amount of disallowed expenditures, he says, was $7,764.50, for which no payments have been received. The item pulled from claims was for work Mills, Scanlon, Dye & Pittman did to defend the council in 2022 Richards Disposal suit. We continue to protect the publics trust through evaluations of accounting practices and aggressive investigations of alleged wrongdoing. Phil Bryant have helped cast doubt over the independence and rigor of the state welfare investigation led by White. We believe the taxpayers of Mississippi deserve no less., By joining our newsletter, you are confirming that you agree with the Privacy Policy. "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. Deputy Director, Criminal Investigations Division: Mississippi, USA bxxxxxd@osa.ms.gov: Fletcher Freeman: Deputy Director Of Communications: Mississippi, USA . 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. The total demand amount$1,991,774.10includes interest and investigative costs. Mississippi Office of the State Auditor | LinkedIn 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 . "We have an incredible team of professionals in the Investigations division, doing some of the most important white-collar crime work in . Got a story tip? Geoff Pender serves as senior political reporter, working closely with Mississippi Today leadership on editorial strategy and investigations. Hurst, in his statement at the time of the arrests, noted, Investigating and prosecuting cases of this magnitude and complexity is routinely what the FBI and U.S. Attorneys Offices do here in Mississippi and around the country.. 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. State Auditor Shad White issued the following statement after Theodore DiBiase Jr. was indicted today in federal court: Continue Reading, JACKSON, Miss. Richards filed its first complaint against the mayor and council last summer for failing to pay the company for trash collection services. Commenting on the indictments, State Auditor Stacey Pickering said, "It is a very sad day in Mississippi when two men with a history of public service are charged with blatantly committing crimes to increase their personal fortunes. PDF OFFICE OF THE STATE AUDITOR - State Auditor of Mississippi More questions than answers at 3-year mark of - Mississippi Today Even small instances of noncompliance, youre talking about potentially big savings, White said. endobj Mississippi Office of the State Auditor 0:00. She received the National Press Foundations 2020 Poverty and Inequality Award. Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license. 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.. Last year we recovered nearly $2 million, Auditor White said. 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. JACKSON, Miss. 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 READ MORE: State Auditor Shad White discusses welfare investigation, former Gov. - SB 2338 of 2022 which requires the Department of Human Services Fraud Investigations Unit to report suspected crimes to . Marshand Crisler, a candidate for Sheriff once again, now faces federal charges related to soliciting bribes and providing ammunition to a convicted felon. 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. Careers 10 0 obj By clicking submit, you agree to share your email address with Mississippi Today. Mississippi Todays The Backchannel investigation, State Auditor Shad White discusses welfare investigation, former Gov. We prefer Author Name, Mississippi Today in the byline. 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. MS state auditor's office releases report of Medicaid fraud claims Mississippi Office of the State Auditor 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. 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. Want more WLBT news in your inbox? Indictment. Multiple requests for comment to UnitedHealth went unanswered. It is ultimately going to be the discretion of the feds to determine who is culpable in this case.. But the people who are at risk now are the people who vote on claims all the time.. Is there a way to get the required matching funds? Mr. Piggot will be focused on the evidentiary elements related to the case. a proud member of the You can only publish select stories individually not as a collection. Mississippi welfare scheme: Former state official pleads guilty in Mississippi investigating Medicaid drug services provider Centene The famed quarterback and Mississippi native received $1.1 million in funds from a nonprofit whose . On Thursday, the Mississippi Office of the State Auditor (OSA) announced last months return of $63,660.90 to public coffers. In Mississippi, the state auditor's office began digging into the pharmacy allegations against Centene in the summer of 2019, according to a letter obtained by MCIR. This is the entry-level of professional program auditor work. 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. State Auditor, AG investigating Centene on allegations it pocketed Attorneys for Nancy and Zach New did not respond to a request for comment from ABC News. Jackson, MS 39205-0956 the law, and earned a certificate in forensic accounting (the use of accounting to discover fraud) from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. 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. 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." DpTJ Since Auditor Shad White arrested Gov. "This completed audit of DHS for the previous year shows the most egregious misspending my staff have seen in their careers at the Office of the State . State Auditor Shad White issued the following statement after Brett DiBiase entered a guilty plea in federal court: Continue Reading, JACKSON, Miss. 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. . In 2021 an investigation into PBMS resulted in a $55 million settlement, OSA said. "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. In 2021, she joined Yall Politics as a Capitol Correspondent. 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. You have to credit Mississippi Today. Accounting firm CliftonLarsonAllen released a 175-page independent audit looking at fraud claims between Jan. 1, 2016, to Dec. 31, 2019. Copyright 2021 WLBT. We believe that an informed Mississippi is a better Mississippi. endobj As a result of this investigation, a settlement was reached in the amount of $55.5 Million. Careers See a spelling or grammar error in our story? 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. In its report, the auditors office found two people who were receiving benefits despite reporting six-figure incomes on their state taxes. Anderson says MDHS will hold all appropriate parties accountable for fraud, waste, and abuse related to the federal block grant money. You cant edit our stories, except to reflect relative changes in time, location and editorial style. If legislators granted the Mississippi Division of Medicaid the ability to review income tax records as part of determining an applicant's eligibility, the agency could cut down on potential fraud, White said. 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. Ware appointed as new Director of Investigations for State Auditor's Office One of the recipients of almost $1.1 million in welfare funds was former Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre, who lives in Mississippi. 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." 1:58. No further arrests have been made since February of 2020 . If extrapolated to the entire Medicaid program, Mississippi could be wrongly paying out between $130 million and $145 million, annually, to ineligible beneficiaries, according to the report. However today, the Auditors office says PBMs are large corporations that have incredible power in the pharmaceutical industry. In there another agency that can investigate $2 million road? Mississippi The charges are one count of embezzlement, three counts of false representations to. He served as policy director when Bryant was lieutenant governor and was his gubernatorial campaign manager in 2015. Keith. In this May 4, 2020, file photo, Mississippi State Auditor Shad White speaks during a news conference in Jackson, Miss. That is what actually led to the meeting, the mayor said. All rights reserved. JACKSON, Miss. <> Any web site our stories appear on must include a contact for your organization. Before joining the staff at Mississippi Today in September of 2018, Anna worked for three years at Clarion Ledger, Mississippis statewide daily newspaper. Her background in political science helps her cut through the noise to find and explain the truth. The charges are one count of embezzlement, three counts of false representations to defraud the government, and one count of alteration of records. 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. . However, state Medicaid recipients are not the only Mississippians impacted by PBMs. In the case of the welfare scandal, Auditor Shad White's office turned over information to the Hinds County District Attorney's Office that suggested Nancy New . Photo by Kayode Crown . All rights reserved. <>/ExtGState<>/XObject<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI] >>/MediaBox[ 0 0 612 792] /Contents 4 0 R/Group<>/Tabs/S/StructParents 0>> This represented the largest civil settlement resulting from a State Auditors investigation in the history of the Mississippi Office of the State Auditor. ", 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). But some holes in the audit have since emerged, especially relating to Bryants involvement behind the scenes. Continue Reading, P.O. JACKSON, Miss. 11 0 obj The council did not immediately approve a new contract with the company and residents were left without pickups for approximately two weeks. 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. The new law increases the statute of limitations on bribery from three years to five years. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. An incumbent in this classification is responsible for planning, conducting, and reporting audits and investigations of state and local government programs; thus the incumbent has developed a high level of both technical competence and supervisory proficiency . Today State Auditor Shad White hosted a panel discussion on the positive impact present fathers have on their children. 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. Lee O. Sanderlin is an investigative and political reporter covering the state of Mississippi. Jacksons contract with Richards expired on March 31. We talked with the city attorney about that, and I wasnt satisfied with her answer, Foote said. a tough, no-nonsense reputation. At this time, MDHS has no plans to change our engagement with Mr. Piggot in assisting with the continued investigation of the misuse of TANF funds. Anderson tells us it is ultimately going to be the discretion of the feds to determine who is culpable in this case. JACKSON, Miss. the University of Oxford, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar, and Harvard Law School. They have been privy to everything thats been going on in the city of Jackson for the last year, year and a half regarding garbage, he said. In December 2022, OSA announced that over the last four years, the office has recovered millions of dollars. No further arrests have been made since Whites office initially arrested six people in February of 2020 Bryants head of DHS and another agency employee, former pro wrestler Brett DiBiase, a nonprofit and private school owner and her son and an accountant that worked for them. &A(@ `$&UV/?4b ( 4)c%@/ P$Y$H`=V```````8@Ii Phil Bryant, Phil Bryant had his sights on a payout as welfare funds flowed to Brett Favre, Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. Last week Governor Tate Reeves signed HB 405, a key piece of State Auditor Shad Whites 2023 legislative agenda. Agency Directory. With 176,000 Mississippians without healthcare, the state has chosen not to expand Medicaid. Today State Auditor Shad White announced former Hancock County Coroner James Faulk has been indicted on multiple charges. Email Anne: anne@magnoliatribune.com. 25, 2023 at 4:28 PM PDT JACKSON, Miss. <> If you share our stories on social media, please tag us in your posts using. Thursday afternoon, in part of a statement, Anderson says quote, 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.. BX1I &)c)K1 dXJ5! Mississippi state auditor says state's DHS wasted tens of millions of grant money . White said the recovery funds also involved inappropriate salary increases approved by some boards of supervisors as well as election commissioners being paid for more days than allowed. Note: After this story published, Auditor Shad White responded on Twitter. 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. Click here to subscribe to our newsletter. Continue Reading, JACKSON, Miss. She has quickly established trust in the Capitol as a fair, honest, and hardworking young reporter. r&s1jF&00_oc\] You get those complaints that come in, and its what did you know and when did you know it. <> 1 0 obj More than two years later, federal authorities have not brought any charges related to the welfare scandal. To republish online, simply click the button, copy the html code and paste into your Content Management System (CMS). % Mississippi Office of the State Auditor NewsAuditor Demands Repayment As for the discrepancy, Williamson said the council approved hiring the firm in question at an hourly rate of $325 or $350 an hour. Investigating Mississippi's State Welfare Scandal - GIJN Auditor Claims State Paid 'Ghost Workers' at Privately Run Prison 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. (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. Thats why it was pulled.. Recouping taxpayer monies part of State Auditor's focus 2023 www.clarionledger.com. Prior to becoming Auditor, White served as a special prosecutor, won ethics cases against politicians who broke . The investigation could include names not already released in civil complaints issued this week by State Auditor Shad White. Instead, the Mississippi Department of Human Services allowed well-connected people to fritter away tens of millions of welfare dollars from 2016 to 2019, according to the state auditor and state . Transparency But shortly after the arrests, White said that then-Gov. Phil Bryant's own words about his role in the state's welfare fraud scandal are a great understatement.. And now at the three-year mark since investigators began nibbling at the edges of what state Auditor Shad White has called the largest public fraud case in state history, things still don't look good. Mississippi Office of the State Auditor NewsState Auditor Demands Over Adult Protective Services: Mississippi Department of Human Services. You can call him at 601-559-3857, send it to LSanderlin@gannett.com or message him on Twitter @LeeOSanderlin. Just as in the forensic audit you saw the auditors reached out to a number of people. The state's settlement with Centene provides a glimpse of what the UnitedHealth probe may center on. From big cases to small cases, we fight for the taxpayers every month., Last month @MSStateAuditor @ShadWhite's office returned $63,660.90 back to taxpayers. State Workforce Investment Board c/o Mississippi Department of Employment Security P.O. Please reload the page and try again. Mississippi increases statute of limitations to investigate bribery Its unclear where any continuing federal or state investigations stand at this point. Faulk has also been issued a demand letter totaling $22,031.26. Contact information for Smith was not immediately available. xxD@@pwAKp=]w8%H@ w^OffwvgvBpmT*?28Nn hX0OSg In 2019, State Auditor Shad White launched an investigation into the PBM serving the states Medicaid program. Whether Medicaid is expanded or not, we need to be doing more, White said. MDHS continues criminal investigation into misspent TANF funds - WLBT Perhaps you can help explain their interest level at this time.. Davis has pleaded not guilty, court records show. Today Shad, his wife Rina and their children live in Rankin County and are faithful members at St. Richard Church. Representatives for Favre did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment. 5 0 obj NAACP calls on Justice Department to investigate Mississippi welfare All rights reserved. It was valuable work that helped us resolve a potential stop of picking up of garbage.. In a statement about the DHS lawsuit White said: We will continue to work alongside our federal partners who have been given access to all our evidence for more than two years to make sure the case is fully investigated..