Mississippi

Subjects in MS Auditor Shad White’s book on Welfare Scandal challenge portrayals

Published

2 years ago

August 15, 2024

Subjects in MS Auditor Shad White’s book on Welfare Scandal challenge portrayals

When State Auditor Shad White told the Clarion Ledger in early August that his new book, “Mississippi Swindle” a personal telling of the $100 million Mississippi Welfare Scandal, was going to create waves, he wasn’t kidding.

He may not have considered, however, that some of those waves might challenge the validity of their portrayals in the book.

In more than 230 pages, White takes shots at several key players within the drama that has led local and federal prosecutors, state agencies and officials scrambling to identify, stop theft of, reclaim and prosecute those guilty of stealing Temporary Assistance to Needy Families funds.

Throughout the book, he highlights the work of his office, himself and others he worked with, and at times throws cold water on claims that former Republican Gov. Phil Bryant is as connected to the scandal as some believe.

White does not mention a Pulitzer Prize-winning series by Mississippi Today showing texts between Bryant and his former Mississippi Department of Human Services Director John Davis trying to influence and possibly broker a deal with a pharmaceutical company.

Of the people he calls out for bad behavior, animosity toward his office’s role, and alleged inaction in the case are most notably state GOP Chairman Mike Hurst and Attorney General Lynn Fitch.

Hurst and Fitch’s Chief of Staff Michelle Williams, who spoke to the Clarion Ledger about their portrayals in the book, both cast doubt on the accuracy of certain sections of the book, as well as question the motives and timing for the piece of work.

Below is what some of those mentioned in the “Mississippi Swindle” book have to say.

Mississippi GOP Chairman Mike Hurst

In his book, White describes Hurst as an egotistically motivated U.S. attorney who questioned White’s decisions at almost every point of their working together. He recounts conversations the two had behind closed doors before a meeting of investigators in which Hurst was passive aggressive with White’s decision to hand the case off to Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens.

“Mike Hurst seemed more interested in re-litigating whether I should have given him the whole case in the beginning,” White writes in the book.

More on Mississippi Swindle MS Auditor releases book on welfare scandal. See what he says about Brett Favre, key players

The Clarion Ledger obtained text messages showing White’s efforts to set up a meeting with Hurt’s office to discuss what was at the time referred to as the “DHS case” in early 2020, before canceling the meeting and then bringing the case to Owens.

“The state auditor’s historical fiction novel may be entertaining, but it is certainly not truthful,” Hurst said in a written statement. “Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but not their own facts. I have chosen over the last four years not to dwell on his decision to initially exclude the FBI and federal prosecutors from this investigation until after indictments were returned by the Hinds County District Attorney, thereby forgoing the great resources, experiences and tools of the U.S. Department of Justice and potentially limiting the scope and reach of the prosecution.”

White has for years defended the decision by saying he thought federal prosecutors would simply redo all of the state auditor’s work to identify the TANF theft and that they would take too long.

“The most important factor in the decision was speed,” White writes in the book. “I knew if we handed the case to the feds, it would be at least a year before anyone was indicted.”

In response to Hurst’s comments, White said Hurst was “not a good U.S. attorney.”

“If Mike had had his way, he would have slow-walked a prosecution and cost taxpayers millions of additional welfare dollars,” White said in a written statement to the Clarion Ledger.

Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch

In the book, White paints Fitch as unambitious in regard to the case and at times points to her potential connections to defendants in the lawsuit between MDHS and those who took TANF money as a roadblock. Her office said he dripped information to them, slowing progress.

“I tried to quiet my mind when it was suggested the AG’s office was going light on Nancy because of a personal connection between New and Fitch,” White writes. “Fitch had spoken at the opening of one of Nancy’s facilities, so I knew they were acquainted.”

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White in more than five instances in the book calls out Fitch and her office for perceived delays or not taking action in the case, including to recoup property purchased with TANF dollars by the News, the family who misappropriated millions through the Mississippi Community Education Center.

Fitch’s office, through Williams, said in a written statement that White is not a serious auditor, made politically motivated decisions early on in the case and that White and Owens slowly shared evidence with the AG’s Office and others, pushing the case down the road.

“He says he wanted a show of bipartisanship, but perhaps it was because he didn’t see a Democrat district attorney who just left his job suing the State as a threat to his ambitions,” Williams writes in the statement. “When Shad White finally shared the evidence, it was in the kind of slow drip that makes successful litigation more complicated. Being methodical and strategic may seem boring to him, but to those of us who take our work seriously, it’s the only way that demonstrates respect for the people and the law.”

In response, White said her office is playing damage control.

“She knows the book tells the truth about how she failed to prosecute a soul, failed to seize any property bought with stolen welfare money, and forced the state to hire private attorneys to get the welfare money back because she won’t do her job,” White said.

Background on the Welfare Scandal

In 2020, White released an audit report showing gross misuse of TANF spending totaling more than $100 million. Since then, MDHS has filed a lawsuit to reclaim those misspent funds from people, including former Southern Miss and NFL football player Brett Favre, more than three dozen other individuals, companies and groups.

Two other defendants in the case, Nancy and Zachary New, pleaded guilty in 2022 to several charges, including bribing a public official, fraud against the government and wire fraud, among others.

Most of the crimes relating to the welfare scandal have a five-year statute of limitations for prosecution.

Clarion Ledger reporters Mary Boyte, Ross Reily and Hattiesburg American Lici Beveridge contributed to this story.

Grant McLaughlin covers state government for the Clarion Ledger. He can be reached at gmclaughlin@gannett.com or 972-571-2335.

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Mississippi

CBSB: Southern Miss sweeps again, Mississippi State shines in Texas, Ole Miss struggles – SuperTalk Mississippi

Published

8 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

CBSB: Southern Miss sweeps again, Mississippi State shines in Texas, Ole Miss struggles – SuperTalk Mississippi

Southern Miss earned its second consecutive sweep, rounding out a mostly successful weekend of college baseball for Mississippi’s major programs.

The No. 12 Golden Eagles (10-1), fresh off a mercy-rule victory over Alabama, exited a hostile Louisiana Tech environment with three straight wins versus a former conference counterpart. Christian Ostrander’s crew won 8-3 on Friday, cruised to an 11-0 run-rule victory through seven innings on Saturday, and was on the good side of a 6-2 scoreboard in Sunday’s finale.

A three-run bomb by Kyle Morrison in the top of the fourth of Friday’s game put the black and gold up 5-3, and solid pitching carried the team the rest of the way. A six-run top of the fourth of Saturday’s game, in part due to a Matthew Russo 2 RBI single, broke a scoring stalemate and fueled Southern Miss to a win in a shortened matchup. A two-run long ball by Joey Urban in the top of the ninth of Sunday’s battle gave the Golden Eagles a buffer that would not be eclipsed.

Kros Sivley (2-0) was Friday’s winning pitcher after logging a pair of strikeouts in 1.2 innings. Grayden Harris (2-0) got the win on Saturday after fanning five batters and surrendering no runs through six complete innings. Camden Sunstrom (1-0) closed out the finale with the win after striking out two batters and not giving up a hit or a run in the final two frames.

Mississippi State wins two in Texas

The No. 4 Bulldogs (11-1) had a solid weekend in the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series. Brian O’Connor’s club handled the weekend test with an 8-4 win over Arizona State, a 15-8 victory over Virginia Tech, and a heartbreaking 8-7 extra-innings loss to No. 1 UCLA.

Mississippi State broke a scoring hiatus on Friday with a strong bottom of the fifth. A Bryce Chance RBI single scored the game’s first run, then a Gehrig Frei homer put the Bulldogs up 4-0. Three insurance runs were added in the next offensive frame, and Mississippi State did not look back. On Saturday, an Ace Reece longball gave the maroon and white a 4-0 lead in the top of the second. Virginia Tech chipped away, cutting the deficit to two runs, until a five-run top of the seventh put things out of reach.

Sunday’s finale was a battle between two teams vying for bragging rights as the nation’s best. The Bruins took an early 3-0 lead, but Mississippi State quickly countered. A two-run bomb by Reed Stallman and an RBI double by Ryder Woodson knotted things up 3-3 in the bottom of the fourth. The Bulldogs added a run in the bottom of the seventh and eighth innings to lead 5-3.

A two-out home run by UCLA’s Roch Cholowsky tied the ballgame in the top of the ninth. Mississippi State, with runners on second and third and no outs in the bottom of the ninth, could not send a runner home. A wild pitch and a 2 RBI triple scored three Bruins in the top of the 10th. Stallman hit his second home run of the day to inch the Bulldogs within one run of their foe, but it was not followed up with more scoring.

Winning pitchers for Mississippi State this weekend were Ryan McPherson (2-0) and Tomas Valincius (3-0), while Ben Davis (0-1) was tabbed with the lone loss.

Ole Miss struggles in neutral-site tournament

In its first set of tests versus power conference opponents, the Rebels (10-2) struggled mightily, dropping two of three outings in the BRUCE BOLT College Classic. Mike Bianco’s club fell to Baylor 6-5 in extra innings on Friday before bouncing back on Saturday in an 8-0 win over Ohio State and suffering a 9-2 loss to Coastal Carolina in Sunday’s finale. Ole Miss was a combined 0-18 at the plate with runners in scoring position in the two losses.

Though the weekend didn’t play to the Rebels’ advantage, a few individual performers stood out. Murray State transfer Dom Decker, who entered his junior campaign without hitting a home run, hit three balls over the outfield wall at the Houston Astros’ Daikin Park. Hunter Elliott had a career-high 11 strikeouts on Friday, while Cade Townsend and Taylor Rabe collectively fanned 16 batters in Saturday’s shutout.

Next up

Southern Miss will play a pair of home midweek games, the first being against Mississippi State on Tuesday at 6 p.m. and the second versus Nicholls on Wednesday at 6 p.m., before hosting North Alabama over the weekend.

Mississippi State will host Lipscomb over the weekend after facing the Golden Eagles.

Ole Miss will host Memphis on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. and North Alabama on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., before welcoming Evansville for a weekend series.

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Mississippi

Mississippi State women’s basketball vs LSU, Kim Mulkey score, live updates, start time, TV

Published

20 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Mississippi State women’s basketball vs LSU, Kim Mulkey score, live updates, start time, TV

STARKVILLE — Mississippi State women’s basketball is playing its final regular season game against No. 6 LSU at Humphrey Coliseum on March 1 (3 p.m., SEC Network).

The Bulldogs (18-11, 5-10 SEC) enter the game on the NCAA Tournament bubble after losing three consecutive games, so an upset win could secure an at-large bid.

The Tigers (25-4, 11-4) and coach Kim Mulkey have won three straight games. Their only losses of the season are to Kentucky, Vanderbilt, Texas and South Carolina.

The Clarion Ledger is bringing you live updates from the game. Follow along.

Watch Mississippi State vs LSU

Mississippi State vs LSU score updates

What time does Mississippi State vs LSU start?

Date: Sunday, March 1
Time: 3 p.m.
Where: Humphrey Coliseum

What TV channel is Mississippi State vs LSU on today?

Mississippi State vs LSU prediction

Sam Sklar, The Clarion Ledger: LSU 77, Mississippi State 74

Mississippi State vs LSU injury report

Mississippi State

None

LSU

Meghan Yarnevich: Out
Kailyn Gilbert: Out

Mississippi State women’s basketball schedule 2025-26

Remaining games on the Mississippi State schedule:

March 4-8: SEC Tournament in Greenville, South Carolina

Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for The Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@usatodayco.com and follow him on X @sklarsam_.

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Mississippi

Virginia Tech Drops 15-8 To Mississippi State

Published

1 day ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Virginia Tech Drops 15-8 To Mississippi State

ARLINGTON, Texas — Mississippi State capitalized on free passes and timely hitting to pull away from Virginia Tech late, defeating the Hokies 15-8 Saturday at Globe Life Field.

The Bulldogs (11-0) collected 15 hits and went 8-for-16 with runners in scoring position, taking control with a five-run seventh inning before tacking on three more scores in the eighth and two in the ninth.

Mississippi State struck first in the opening inning. Aidan Teel singled and later scored on Reed Stallman’s RBI double to right, giving the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead against Virginia Tech starter Griffin Stieg.

The Hokies fell behind further in the second when Teel delivered an RBI single and Ace Reese followed with a 399-foot two-run home run to right-center, pushing the margin to 4-0.

Virginia Tech answered in the third. Hudson Lutterman tripled to right field and Ethan Gibson lifted a sacrifice fly to cut the deficit to 4-1. But the Bulldogs continued to manufacture offense, adding a run in the fifth after a hit-by-pitch with the bases loaded made it 5-1.

The Hokies began to chip away in the sixth when Ethan Ball launched a 448-foot solo home run to center field, trimming the lead to 5-2. Virginia Tech threatened further in the inning after Owen Petrich reached and Treyson Hughes moved into scoring position following an error, but a strikeout and a caught stealing ended the rally.

The game swung decisively in the seventh.

Mississippi State loaded the bases against Aiden Robertson and Peyton Smith before James Nunnallee was hit by a pitch to force in a run. Bryce Chance followed with an RBI single, and Teel delivered a two-run single through the right side. An Ace Reese sacrifice fly capped the five-run inning, extending the Bulldogs’ lead to 10-2.

Mississippi State added three more in the eighth on Jacob Parker’s 415-foot, three-run home run to right-center, stretching the advantage to 13-2.

Virginia Tech was able to answer to aviod the run-rule decision. In the bottom half of the eighth, Nick Locurto advanced on a wild pitch before Aimon Chandler crushed a two-run homer to left-center to make it 13-5.

The Bulldogs answered again in the ninth, taking advantage of walks and another hit-by-pitch to plate two more runs and push the lead to 15-5.

The Hokies mounted one final rally in the bottom of the ninth, launching three consecutive solo home runs. Anderson French homered to open the inning, Hudson Lutterman followed with a blast of his own and Sam Gates added another to trim the deficit to 15-8. The comeback attempt stalled there, however, as Mississippi State recorded the final three outs to secure the win.

Virginia Tech finished with 11 hits and hit seven home runs in the contest, but the difference proved to be traffic. The Hokies issued 10 walks and hit four batters, allowing Mississippi State to consistently put runners on base. The Bulldogs stranded 12 but capitalized often enough to keep control.

Ball, Chandler, French, Lutterman and Gates each homered for the Hokies, while Mississippi State countered with long balls from Reese and Parker.

Despite the late power surge, Virginia Tech could not overcome Mississippi State’s sustained offensive pressure and struggled to contain innings once they began to unravel.

The Hokies will look to regroup as they finish tournament play tomorrow against Tennessee.

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