Mississippi
NAACP asks U.S. Attorney General to investigate former Gov. Phil Bryant after Mississippi Today series
Mississippi As we speak’s “The Backchannel” collection, which examines former Gov. Phil Bryant’s involvement in what officers have referred to as the biggest public embezzlement scheme in state historical past, is renewing requires a federal investigation.
NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson wrote a letter to U.S. Legal professional Basic Merrick Garland on April 7, three days after the start of Mississippi As we speak’s collection, asking for him to prosecute the folks accountable for stealing federal funds meant to serve the nation’s poorest residents.
READ MORE: Phil Bryant had his sights on a payout as welfare funds flowed to Brett Favre
“We determined to maneuver ahead to request the Division of Justice to do an intensive investigation after the investigative reporting from Mississippi As we speak,” Johnson mentioned Friday. “It’s apparent others have been concerned. That is maybe the biggest federal fraud state of affairs that now we have seen within the state of Mississippi and perhaps one of many largest within the nation. The truth that the previous governor could possibly be concerned and others, it requires an intensive investigation by the federal authorities to make sure that taxpayers within the state of Mississippi and throughout the nation are made entire.”
In 2020, the State Auditor’s Workplace launched a report that questioned $94 million in federal grant spending from the Mississippi Division of Human Providers. Whereas the workplace arrested six folks in February of 2020 associated to the alleged theft of $4 million, nobody else concerned within the sprawling scheme has confronted prices.
Mississippi As we speak’s collection uncovered never-bef0re-published non-public conversations Bryant had with retired NFL quarterback Brett Favre and the proprietor of Prevacus, the corporate that acquired $2.15 million in allegedly stolen welfare funds from the state. Favre and Prevacus proprietor Jake Vanlandingham provided Bryant inventory within the firm in for change the assistance he gave them throughout his time in workplace. Bryant agreed in textual content messages to simply accept the provide two days after he left workplace — however the arrests by the state auditor, a Bryant appointee and former marketing campaign supervisor, derailed the association.
None of those males have been accused of wrongdoing associated to the deal.
“What was most putting concerning the Mississippi As we speak article is the truth that the governor knew or ought to have identified” that the corporate was receiving funding from the state, Johnson advised Mississippi As we speak. “And it seems from firsthand accounts from his emails and textual content messages that he was steering choices because it pertains to TANF funds, which clearly raises a whole lot of questions and may require a federal investigation into his involvement.”
“If, in truth, that was the case,” Johnson added, “he and others must be held accountable for his or her involvement.”
Rather more has but to be revealed concerning the widespread misspending of not less than $77 million in federal public help funds.
“The audit report famous that its findings and all associated info had been referred to the U.S. Division of Justice,” Johnson wrote in his letter. “Nevertheless, almost two years later, regardless of the overwhelming documentary proof of fraud, forgery, and abuse on this matter, DOJ has not but launched a prison investigation.”
On the time of the 2020 arrests, State Auditor Shad White mentioned his workplace had turned over all info to federal investigators. White justified his workplace making the preliminary arrests — together with the previous Bryant-appointed welfare director John Davis and nonprofit founder Nancy New — with a purpose to shortly cease the circulation of funds from the welfare company to the contractors who have been allegedly misspending the cash.
Then-U.S. Legal professional Mike Hurst in Jackson mentioned the native FBI and his workplace weren’t conscious of the welfare company investigation till the arrests, however that “we stand able to put the substantial expertise and experience of our places of work and the complete U.S. Division of Justice to work to assist our colleagues deliver fraudsters to justice and stamp out public corruption,” the Clarion Ledger reported.
“Not solely is it crucial that DOJ take immediate and aggressive motion to guard the Mississippi residents who have been and proceed to be harmed by the wrongful actions of state officers,” Johnson wrote, “failure to research might result in the impression that DOJ is constant the earlier administration’s sample of trying the opposite approach when legal guidelines are damaged by white state officers, particularly when the wrongdoing disproportionately
harms minorities.”
READ MORE: Mississippi As we speak investigation exposes new proof of Phil Bryant’s position in welfare scandal
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