Ex-Mississippi welfare director says he ‘tried to do my very best’ at DiBiase trial
John Davis, the former director of the Mississippi Department of Human Services, testified Monday that he “tried to do my very best” as he answered questions from defense lawyer Eric Herschmann in the trial of former professional wrestler Ted DiBiase Jr.
Herschmann, an Austin-based former adviser to President Donald Trump who recently became DiBiase’s lead attorney, questioned Davis about requests from political figures and about meetings where Davis said he kept attorneys present. Herschmann asked whether Davis sometimes listened to lawmakers because he thought they were asking for the right thing; Davis replied that he did, according to court testimony.
Davis, who was nominated to lead the welfare agency in 2016 and whose agency had about $100 million in questioned purchases in a 2019 audit, pleaded guilty to state and federal conspiracy charges in 2022 and is cooperating with prosecutors, court records show. Prosecutors have called Davis their star witness in a case in which they say DiBiase obtained roughly $3 million in federal funds through what they call “sham contracts.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney John Meynardie called Davis the “big villain in this case” during opening statements last month, and prosecutors allege DiBiase, now a motivational speaker, faces 13 counts including conspiracy, wire fraud, theft of federal funds and money laundering. DiBiase’s lawyers say he was a lawful contractor.
The defense also addressed testimony about nonprofit directors who dealt with the agency. Prosecutors say one director, Christie Webb, will testify she signed contracts with DiBiase under duress; Webb has not yet testified. Davis rejected the account on the stand, saying funding cuts to Webb’s organization resulted from a government shutdown and other shortfalls and that he never intended to retaliate, according to the testimony.
The trial has seen changes to DiBiase’s legal team and motions for a mistrial. Herschmann and co-counsel Sidney Lampton were permitted by U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves to continue representing DiBiase after earlier requests for a mistrial were denied. The prosecution said it hopes to finish witness testimony this week, and Davis is expected to return to the stand Tuesday, court filings and courtroom statements show.
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