The council had refused to pay Richards because it never approved a contract. The auditor's office has been investigating several of the state's pharmacy benefit management contractors since 2019, after hiring Ridgeland-based law firmListon & Deas on the state's behalf. See The Spending As for the discrepancy, Williamson said the council approved hiring the firm in question at an hourly rate of $325 or $350 an hour. Job openings are posted for recruitment with Workplace Investment Network (WIN) Job Service Offices and on the Mississippi State Personnel Board (SPB) website at www.mspb.ms.gov. Mississippi state auditor says state's DHS wasted tens of millions of grant money . ", Johnson urged "in the strongest possible terms to take immediate action to investigate and prosecute those involved in this massive theft of federal funds.". An OSA report titled, Pharmacies vs. Big Corporations: Survey Illustrates the Challenge of PBMs for Independent Pharmacies said PBMs were originally created to manage these reimbursements from a health plan to your local pharmacy. 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." read more You can call him at 601-559-3857, send it to LSanderlin@gannett.com or message him on Twitter @LeeOSanderlin. The job title. We center readers in everything we do, informingand engagingMississippians through reporting, podcasts, events and online communities. Anna Wolfe, a native of Tacoma, Wa., is an investigative reporter writing about poverty and economic justice. Hes also claimed the auditors are liars despite clear documentary evidence showing he benefitted from misspent funds. 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. In May, it opted to extend the contract for another year, the last extension allowed under the current deal. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File - Copyright 2020 The Associated Press. But the people who are at risk now are the people who vote on claims all the time.. Published in April 2022, the explosive investigation exposed corruption in Mississippi's dysfunctional welfare system, which deprived the poorest US state of millions of federal dollars that was intended to address widespread poverty. Legislative Update endobj In its annual single-audit report an audit conducted on behalf of the federal government for the fiscal year ending in June 2020 the Office of the State Auditordetails how the Mississippi Division of Medicaid may be giving benefits to people who make too much money to qualify. The New's nonprofits received $9.4 million from MDHS from the time the auditor's office began investigating them in July 2019 until Feb. 4, 2020, two days before Nancy and Zack New were charged . Job announcements include. By Cindy Boren. Transparency The Mississippi Office of the State Auditor assisted with the investigation. State Workforce Investment Board c/o Mississippi Department of Employment Security P.O. [ @5 Y02YUU (s %I ea ) }Pr"aTH6 xRN With 176,000 Mississippians without healthcare, the state has chosen not to expand Medicaid. State auditor talks about duties, current investigations. Contact information for Smith was not immediately available. Geoff Pender serves as senior political reporter, working closely with Mississippi Today leadership on editorial strategy and investigations. In December 2022, OSA announced that over the last four years, the office has recovered millions of dollars. Our investigators have proven we will take on the biggest cases down to the smallest to protect taxpayer dollars, said Auditor White. Phil Bryant. McGrew, Smith, Nancy New and Zach New have all pleaded not guilty, according to The Associated Press. Mississippi 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 Today State Auditor Shad White announced Jonathan Smith, a former employee of Jackson County, has been convicted of two counts of embezzlement. A bill for an act relating to state government; designating the state fire museum; changing provisions in state government operations; modifying enabling statutes for the Legislative Commission on Cybersecurity; modifying provisions related to the Office of the Legislative Auditor and the Legislative Audit Commission; authorizing forms of collateral for state deposits; modifying procedures for . Mr. Favre has called Auditor White and his team liars despite repaying some of the money our office demanded from him. 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 . The County Audit Section recovered disallowed expenditures totaling $34,124.47, White further explained. The charges are one count of embezzlement, three counts of false representations to defraud the government, and one count of alteration of records. 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. Phone: 601.576.2800 State Auditor Shad White has named Larry Ware as the new Director of Investigations. The state's settlement with Centene provides a glimpse of what the UnitedHealth probe may center on. On Tuesday, the council voted down the claims docket after an item to pay approximately $45,000 in councils attorneys fees was pulled from it at the behest of the City Attorneys Office. manager, for charging Medicaid more than the allowed price cap. Some have agreed to, some have not. That is what actually led to the meeting, the mayor said. At least two Mississippi Medicaid recipients are making six figures and living in million-dollar homes, according to State Auditor Shad White, and he wants legislators to strengthen Medicaid investigators powers as a result. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Neither person is named in the report because the investigation is ongoing. <> JACKSON, Miss. The fight has resulted in at least eight lawsuits, including one that was settled last week. In June, the state announced it reached a $55.5 million settlement with Centene, its largest Medicaid contractor,following a yearslong investigation into whether the company overcharged Medicaidfor prescription drugs. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. This is one of the larger demands weve issued in my time in office. 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. On Thursday, the Mississippi Office of the State Auditor (OSA) announced last months return of $63,660.90 to public coffers. JACKSON, Miss. Mississippi State Auditor Shad White has referred a case to the state's attorney general involving NFL Hall of Famer Brett Favre and nine others who received millions in welfare dollars that should have gone to help the state's poorest. The agency notified the city on April 5, urging leaders to reimplement residential collections, saying the temporary drop-off sites were not adequate to handle the citys needs. Stephanie Churchill Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement JACKSON, Miss. 11 0 obj The auditor's office has been investigating several of the state's pharmacy benefit management contractors since 2019, after hiring Ridgeland-based law firm Liston & Deas on the state's. <> His father and grandfather were oilfield pumpers, and his mother and grandmother were public school teachers. % 7 0 obj Meanwhile, USM must find some. Bryant has since acknowledged that the content of his messages doesnt look good, but while the auditors office has possessed the records for over two years, it concealed them from the public and has not made any indication it has further investigated the matter. . In this May 4, 2020, file photo, Mississippi State Auditor Shad White speaks during a news conference in Jackson, Miss. Both lawsuits say the legislation - HB 1020 - disenfranchises black Jacksonians and infringes on their rights as citizens. In its report, the auditors office found two people who were receiving benefits despite reporting six-figure incomes on their state taxes. "We are still early in our investigation," said Colby . White as auditor has burnished a reputation as a hard-charging defender of state tax dollars, and was credited with unmasking a massive scheme in the 2019 welfare scandal. Instead, White has credited Bryant as the whistle blower who prompted his investigation, and said that it was Bryants welfare directors responsibility to know the law and refuse any improper directives from the governor. An early oddity in the auditors probe came when White went to the Hinds County District Attorneys Office notoriously understaffed and suffering huge backlogs of cases after he launched an eight-month investigation without notifying federal authorities. The others indicted include Nancy New, the former owner of the Mississippi Community Education Center (MCEC); her son, Zach New, the assistant executive director of the MCEC; and former Department of Human Services employee Gregory "Latimer" Smith. An April 14 email from City Attorney Catoria Martin to council members informed them that since April 5, we have received daily requests for additional information and for updates on the information previously provided.. To learn more about our cartoon syndication services. Continue Reading, JACKSON, Miss. Favre has not been charged and has since started repaying the funds, according to the AP. Attorneys fees pulled from Jackson claims docket due to auditors 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. All others, we audit. Shad, youre welcome to use that.. By clicking submit, you agree to share your email address with Mississippi Today. Knowing what we know now, clearly he should have recused himself and should be recusing himself now.. 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. 8 0 obj The new law increases the statute of limitations on bribery from three years to five years. The state auditor's office also declined to provide further details, citing the need to protect an ongoing investigation. Mississippi's state auditor on Monday demanded a private prison operator pay nearly $2 million after the company improperly billed the state for thousands of prison guard shifts that were never actually worked. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Mississippi State Auditor Shad White, right, confers with fellow Republican and Gov. - Today State Auditor Shad White announced former Hancock County Coroner James Faulk has been indicted on multiple charges. Anderson says MDHS will hold all appropriate parties accountable for fraud, waste, and abuse related to the federal block grant money. The monies are a result of instances such as bond repayments or a judges decision on restitutions. The council eventually settled with Richards out of court and agreed to pay the company roughly $4.8 million in back pay for work already done, as well as more than $800,000 a month through March 31 this year. Especially if I wasnt going to take strong action on it, I would turn it over to somebody else.. Bryant said at the time that he wanted someone with independence who did not have numerous political relationships and ties to the government officials and institutions he would be auditing. The text messages between Bryant, the owner of Prevacus and retired NFL star Brett Favre have been in the possession of the auditors office for more than two years. But some holes in the audit have since emerged, especially relating to Bryants involvement behind the scenes. You have to credit Mississippi Today. Today State Auditor Shad White announced that Special Agents from his office have served Management & Training Corporation (MTC) with a civil demand totaling nearly $2 million after the company failed to follow the terms of its contract to operate the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC) facility in Marshall County. Voting along with him were Ward 5 Councilman Vernon Hartley and Ward 6 Councilman Aaron Banks.
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