State Auditor Shad White claims state loses millions because…

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) – State Auditor Shad White said fatherlessness in Mississippi is one of the root causes of some of the state’s most pressing issues and it’s costing taxpayers hundreds of millions each year.

We talk about Mississippi being 50th in this or 50th in that. We’re going to see that some of the root causes are right here in homes when those homes are not made homes,” White said.

Some of those areas Mississippi ranks among the lowest in the country: health care, education, economy, and infrastructure. White said two of those low rankings are caused by nearly 250,000 Mississippi children who don’t have dads.

“Kids who grow up without an engaged dad in their home are five times more likely to end up in poverty, they’re nine times more likely to drop out of school, they’re 20 times more likely to end up in prison,” White explained.

But how does it hurt the state economy? In a report back in 2022, White said that there were close to 10,000 inmates in Mississippi prisons who didn’t have fathers. As a result, the state spends over $180 million each year on those inmates alone.

“We have the generational curse that is going to continue. What’s gonna happen when this kid gets older, what’s the chances of them going on to college and being successful, very low,” Jack Brewer, Chair of America First Policy Institute Center, explained.

And while that isn’t always the case, White said 70% of high school dropouts come from fatherless homes and that will cost over $290,000 in a person’s lifetime in the state.

“If you need extra classes to get caught up, or you drop out, and you need to go through a GED course to get caught up, that’s going to cost the taxpayers money,” White said.

But leaders don’t think this trend will change with just legislation. It’s going to take a societal shift to bridge the gaps.

“If we can get more people to actually mentor or follow this population, in give them some of that love after school or on the weekends, whether it’s sports programs or other activities, I think you’ll see a huge impact on some of the issues you have in Mississippi and across the country,” Brewer explained.

Brewer and White said they met with state leaders Wednesday to discuss some of the ways fatherlessness in Mississippi can be attacked through the legislature.

District 2 Hinds County Election Commissioner Toni Johnson pleads…

HINDS COUNTY, Miss. — Hinds County District 2 Election Commissioner Toni Johnson has pleaded guilty to charges of embezzlement.

Johnson entered the guilty plea Monday after jury selection began for her trial.

According to the state auditor’s office, Johnson used COVID-19 funds from the Center for Tech and Civic Life, a nonprofit organization funded by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, to purchase two 85-inch televisions and personal protective equipment, which she purportedly had delivered to her own home and one other private residence.

Two others, Cedric Cornelius and Sudie Jones-Teague, have already pleaded guilty to various counts of bribery of a public official, conspiracy to make/submit fraudulent statements to the government, making/submitting false statements to defraud the government, and making/submitting false writings to defraud the government.

In exchange for Johnson’s guilty plea, the state will recommend a total sentence of 20 years in custody of the Mississippi Department of Corrections, with 15 years suspended and five years of that sentence to be served in the Intensive Supervised Probation Program.

Johnson will also have to pay restitution in the amount of $24,216 with $50,000 to be paid within 60 days of Johnson’s guilty plea.

“Today’s plea brings to a conclusion another example of blatant public corruption uncovered by the Office of the State Auditor and successfully prosecuted by our office, said Hinds county District Attorney, Jody Owens.”

According to the Hinds county district attorney’s office, Jones-Teague and Cornelius are expected to be sentenced in the coming months.

PRESS RELEASE: Shad White Files to Run for Second…

JACKSON–State Auditor Shad White filed qualifying papers at the Mississippi Republican Party to run for re-election as Mississippi’s 42nd State Auditor.

“I’m prepared to run a strong re-election campaign,” said Auditor White. “My campaign account has $1.3 million in cash thanks to hundreds of individual donations from around the state. Mississippians clearly want to keep tough, energetic leadership in the auditor’s office.” White’s cash-on-hand total is more than two times the money of anyone who’s ever run for Mississippi State Auditor at this point in the race.

During White’s four years in office, his team has put a stop to the largest public fraud scheme in state history, has recovered record-breaking sums of misspent taxpayer money, and seen the defendants they’ve investigated sent to hundreds of years of prison time, collectively.

“My family and I have a great body of work to talk about on the campaign trail this year, and I look forward to telling the voters about the progress we’ve made stopping corruption and protecting their money,” said White.

White, a native of rural Jones County, is a Certified Fraud Examiner and has served in the Office of the State Auditor since 2018. He also serves in the military as a captain in the Mississippi National Guard. Today Shad, his wife Rina, and their children (two girls and a boy on the way) live in Rankin County and are faithful members of St. Richard Church.

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