Read Mississippi Today’s Pulitzer Prize-winning series ‘The Backchannel’

Mississippi Immediately reporter Anna Wolfe received the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Native Reporting for her outstanding investigation “The Backchannel,” which uncovered former Gov. Phil Bryant’s function within the state’s welfare scandal.

Wolfe’s investigation was the fruits of greater than 5 years of reporting on the Mississippi welfare company, which is tasked with serving to the poorest residents of America’s poorest state. When she present in 2017 that solely a fraction of Mississippians who utilized for direct money help have been receiving it, she puzzled how, as a substitute, the state was spending a whole bunch of thousands and thousands in federal grants designed to assist these individuals.

READ MORE: Mississippi Immediately’s full “The Backchannel” investigation

By means of dozens of data requests and a whole bunch of interviews over the previous a number of years, Wolfe uncovered misspending of these federal funds. And, after a tipster leaked 1000’s of personal, never-before-seen textual content messages between Bryant and key gamers within the scandal, Wolfe was capable of piece collectively the previous governor’s function.

Among the many findings of “The Backchannel” investigation:

• Bryant was set, simply days after leaving workplace, to obtain inventory in a Favre-affiliated drug firm that had obtained state welfare {dollars}.
• Favre pressed Mississippi welfare officers to steer taxpayer funds to his pet tasks — one in all which he deliberate to revenue from. 
• Bryant helped Favre safe welfare funding for USM volleyball stadium.
• Bryant wielded nice management over how his appointed welfare director distributed federal funds, even turning to that welfare director to hunt assist for his troubled nephew.

Click on the hyperlinks under to learn your complete “The Backchannel” investigation.

Half 1: Phil Bryant had his sights on a payout as welfare funds flowed to Brett Favre

Half 1A: ‘You caught your neck out for me’: Brett Favre used fame and favors to tug welfare {dollars}

Half 2: ‘My Governor is relying on me’: Disgraced welfare director bowed to Phil Bryant’s needs

Half 3: Governing by textual content: Phil Bryant’s hidden hand picked welfare winners

Half 4: Phil Bryant’s star-powered selfies and slick brochures didn’t Save the Kids

Half 5: Household first: Gov. Phil Bryant turned to welfare officers to rescue troubled nephew

Half 6: Gov. Tate Reeves impressed welfare fee focused in civil go well with, texts present

Half 7: Former Gov. Phil Bryant helped Brett Favre safe welfare funding for USM volleyball stadium, texts reveal

Half 8: SuperTalk radio was a strong mouthpiece for welfare fraudsters — whereas raking in welfare funds itself

Earlier than nationwide information coated the welfare scandal, Mississippi Immediately uncovered it first.

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