Auditor's Report Shows Attorney General Recovered Little of DHS Demands
The Audit Exceptions Report, released this month, states the Auditor's office recovered $1,096,510.88 during the fiscal year. It also shows the office issued $96,312,774.27 in demands tied to the Mississippi Department of Human Services welfare scandal, of which the Attorney General's office has recovered just $18,000. In 103 additional unpaid cases totaling $15,792,926.25, the report says the Attorney General's office has taken no action in 95.
Announcing the report, State Auditor Shad White said, "Mississippians work hard for their money and they deserve to know every taxpayer dollar is being protected. The hardworking men and women at the Auditor's Office will continue to serve as the state's watchdog and uncover waste, fraud, and abuse wherever we find it."
State law requires the Auditor's office to publish the Exceptions Report each August. The figures highlight ongoing friction between the Auditor and Attorney General's offices over enforcement of state financial demands.