Mississippi Auditor’s office to meet with FBI over state welfare fraud

The Mississippi State Auditor’s Office is set to meet with the Federal Bureau of Investigation next week related to the misuse of TANF funds in Mississippi in what was the largest embezzlement case in state history.

READ DETAILS ABOUT THE EMBEZZLEMENT HERE

From state auditor Shad White:

“Tomorrow morning I am heading to FBI offices where my agents and I will brief them on the DHS scheme and make all the evidence we have gathered available.

We moved quickly and quietly in the Auditor’s office to put a stop to the DHS scheme before any more money was taken, and now is the time to use every investigative resource available to uncover all the fraud that remains.

I am also calling on the Legislature to immediately require a full forensic audit of DHS by a competent private CPA firm. My office cannot do an audit of that magnitude any time soon and still handle our normal duties. This is the only way we will be able to know how every dollar was spent in the programs that were abused.”

After this fraud was uncovered, Mississippi decided to also take a look at Welfare recipients

The state led audit would focus on about 60,700 able-bodied adult caretakers, who make up less than ten percent of a Medicaid program that serves mostly children.