OSA

Audit Finds Millions Spent Despite Large Number of Student Absences at Child Care Centers JACKSON, Miss. – Approximately 20% of childcare centers accounted for 90% of reported paid absences in Mississippi’s Child Care Payment Program (CCPP), according to a new report released by the Mississippi Office of the State Auditor. The report also found taxpayers likely paid between $13.8 million and $30.9 million during Federal Fiscal Year 2024 for children who were reported absent from childcare centers. “We all remember the massive Minnesota daycare fraud and the ‘Learing Center,’” said White. “While we’ve not yet found something as egregious, taxpayer money is clearly paying centers in Mississippi when kids are not showing up.” The report found taxpayers likely paid up to $30.9 million during Federal Fiscal Year 2024 for children who were reported absent from childcare centers. Five centers alone accounted for more than 40% of unattended-yet-paid days among sampled childcare centers. Due to Biden-era rules, providers are paid with CCPP dollars based on enrollment rather than attendance, meaning centers receive taxpayer-funded payments whether children show up or not. Auditors found that more than 13% of sampled payments were made for days when recipient children were reported absent. Current federal regulations allow childcare providers to continue receiving payments for up to 60 consecutive days of absences before a child’s certificate may be revoked. Only then is money cut off from the centers. “As a father I know that if my kid missed school for even one day, I would get notified immediately,” said Auditor White. “The fact that these centers still receive tax dollars even if the kids are gone for up to two months is completely crazy and a total waste of your tax dollars.” The full report can be found under the “Reports” tab on the Auditor’s website and searching “Child Care.”

Auditor Announces Another Guilty Plea as Part of Operation Payback JACKSON, Miss. – Today State Auditor @ShadWhite announced that Benjamin Coleman has pleaded guilty to one count of Fraudulent Statements and Representations. Coleman submitted fraudulent weekly certification sheets to obtain unemployment funds from the Mississippi Department of Employment Security. “My office will continue to drop the hammer on criminals who can be identified and recover as much misspent taxpayer dollars as possible,” said State Auditor Shad White. Coleman was sentenced by the Forrest County Circuit Court to 3 years of Pre-Trial Diversion Program and ordered to pay a total of $2,824 in restitution and $175 in fines. Suspected fraud can be reported to the Auditor’s office at any time by clicking the red button on the Auditor's website or calling 1-(800) 321-1275 during normal business hours.

The Mississippi Office of the State Auditor is proud to announce that we returned $113,165.59 back to taxpayers in the month of April.

In the last few months, the Auditor's Office has: - arrested three people for allegedly taking unemployment payments by using the identities of thirteen different inmates who were incarcerated - released an audit showing BP settlement money was being spent on too many pork projects - saw the sentencing of the first perpetrator in the welfare scandal that we uncovered - found that millions are being spent on childcare programs but no one is reporting data on whether the programs work - saw a city employee plead guilty to embezzlement in one of our cases - found that a non-profit being paid taxpayer funds from the Human Trafficking Fund was helping to organize anti-ICE protests - saw an inmate plead guilty for obtaining unemployment funds in one of our cases - got a clean audit from an outside CPA firmhired by the legislature to audit the Auditor's Office - saw two school superintendents plead guilty in cases we investigated - arrested a county employee for allegedly defrauding the taxpayers

Mississippi spends more of our education budget on administration than every other state in the South. Mississippi has some of the lowest paid teachers in the country. Mississippi assistant teachers are consistently the lowest paid assistant teachers in the country. The classroom supply fund teachers use doesn't even get activated until after the school year starts in many districts across the state. Mississippi should show teachers appreciation by addressing these problems and getting taxpayer money going to where it makes the most difference: inside the classroom.

State Auditor Shad White Issues Statement on Anne McGrew's Sentence in Welfare Misspending Case JACKSON, Miss. – "The first person was sentenced to prison today in the welfare fraud scheme that my office uncovered over six years ago. My understanding from prosecutors is that the court will be sentencing the other six people who pleaded guilty soon," said State Auditor @ShadWhite. "Our court system often takes time to function, but today it took a step toward justice for the taxpayers who were defrauded in the largest public fraud scheme in state history."

State Auditor @ShadWhite had the privilege of meeting with Neshoba County Sheriff Eric Clark and his team. Neshoba County is in good hands!

The Trump Administration has announced a federal crackdown on Medicaid fraud. This is great news. Some of the Medicaid findings our office has identified include: - Over $600,000 in improper payments made on behalf of deceased Mississippians - Anywhere from 5-7% of Medicaid dollars in any given year going to people who make too much money to be on the program. We found one couple living in a home valued at over $1.3 million who were on the Medicaid rolls - Over $10.5 million over three years being spent on healthcare for illegal immigrants. Medicaid fraud is happening across the country. Every state needs to work on making sure that Medicaid dollars are spent properly.

🚨 Click of the handcuffs incoming. @DrOzCMS’s 50-state Medicaid audit is blowing the lid off the waste. @MSStateAuditor Shad White just exposed $10.5 MILLION in payments to illegal aliens — plus dead people and millionaires — all on the taxpayer dime. Our CEO @OJOleka confirms: this is nationwide and totals billions in fraud. No more taxpayer-funded scams. We're cleaning house. dailysignal.com/2026/04/29/cli…

Auditor's Office Arrests Two Tallahatchie County Road Department Employees JACKSON, Miss. – Today @MSStateAuditor @ShadWhite announced that Special Agents from his office have arrested Willie Garner and Willie Williams, Tallahatchie County Road Department employees, for allegedly defrauding Tallahatchie County by using county equipment, materials, and labor to deliver dirt to the home of Willie Garner. Garner and Williams both allegedly utilized county dump trucks and labor to deliver dirt to Garner’s home for his own personal benefit. “The Auditor’s office has zero-tolerance for theft of taxpayer funds and we will continue to work closely with prosecutors to hold criminals accountable,” said State Auditor Shad White. Garner and Williams both face up to $10,000 in fines and 15 years in prison if convicted. All persons arrested by the Mississippi Office of the State Auditor are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Suspected fraud can be reported to the Auditor’s office at any time by clicking the red button on the Auditor’s website or calling 1-(800) 321-1275 during normal business hours.

Watch WTVA's coverage on our latest report that identified over $10.5 million in taxpayer funds spent on healthcare for illegal immigrants over three years. 👇👇👇

Over $10.5 Million in Taxpayer Funds Spent on Healthcare for Illegal Immigrants in Mississippi Over Three Years JACKSON, Miss. – Mississippi taxpayers spent over $10.5 million on Medicaid for illegal aliens from federal fiscal year 2023 to 2025 according to a new report from State Auditor @ShadWhite. “If this money had gone to benefit lawful citizens, it could have reduced our taxes, paid our teachers, paid our police officers—frankly anything would be better than serving as a magnet for illegal immigrants to come to the United States,” said White. Federal law requires hospitals to provide emergency services regardless of immigration status, but it also requires states to report how much taxpayer money is spent providing these medical services to illegal immigrants. However, the Mississippi Department of Medicaid did not report spending on illegal immigrants to the federal government until after the State Auditor’s Office released a 2024 report on the taxpayer cost of illegal immigration. “The only answer here is to have a federal government continue to do exactly what the Trump Administration is doing, which is close our borders and enforce our immigration laws,” said White. “In addition, I pushed hard for a new law to make illegal immigration a state crime, and that bill passed this year, which will also help.” After identifying Medicaid’s shortcoming in the 2024 report, State Auditor Shad White commissioned a follow-up analysis to determine why Mississippi’s Medicaid program had never reported spending on illegal immigrants. As a result of this work, the Mississippi Division of Medicaid (DOM) identified over $10.5 million spent on providing Medicaid for illegal immigrants over three fiscal years. “Mississippi taxpayers deserve to know the cost of illegal immigrants in our state,” said White, “even if it makes some folks uncomfortable. My team will always tell you how your money in being spent, warts and all.” The full report can be found under the “Reports” tab on the Auditor’s website and searching “illegal immigrants.”

Illegal immigration costs Mississippi taxpayers more than $100 million every year. That's precisely why State Auditor Shad White made making illegal immigration a state crime a key part of his 2026 legislative agenda. The Legislature killed that bill for years but after Auditor White toured the state and began talking about the issue, the Legislature finally managed to get it done. This is how we save taxpayers money.

OSA seeks a full-time, on-site General Counsel for our Jackson office. Candidates must be active members of the Mississippi Bar in good standing, pass a background check, and have 5+ years of legal experience. Please submit resumes to recruitment@osa.ms.gov. #OSA #Attorney #Audit

Auditor's Office Makes Three Arrests as Part of Operation Payback JACKSON, Miss. – Today State Auditor @ShadWhite announced that Special Agents from his office have arrested Chadwick Stubbs, Blair Stubbs, and Shinka Stubbs as part of a detailed investigation into unemployment compensation fraud called Operation Payback. Chadwick Stubbs, Blair Stubbs, and Shinka Stubbs allegedly submitted fraudulent claims to obtain unemployment funds by using the identities of thirteen different inmates who were incarcerated with Blair and Chadwick Stubbs at the time the claims were submitted to the Mississippi Department of Employment Security. “My office discovered that during COVID, Mississippi handed out over half a billion dollars in improper unemployment payments,” said State Auditor @ShadWhite. “We will continue working diligently to hold criminals accountable and recover as much of this misspent money as possible.” If convicted Chadwick, Blair, and Shinka Stubbs face up to $36,000 in fines and up to 45 years in prison. All persons arrested by the Mississippi Office of the State Auditor are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Suspected fraud can be reported to the Auditor’s office at any time by clicking the red button on the Auditor's website or calling 1-(800)-321-1275 during normal business hours.

Here an update from State Auditor @ShadWhite on our recent $7.4 million demand served to a private prison company.

Thank you to WAPT for covering our car tag report and showing the major differences some citizens may pay for their tag depending on where they live. A Potential Opportunity to Lower Car Tag Fees Across Mississippi wapt.com/article/missis…

Last year we released a comprehensive government waste report that identified over $400 million in waste across state government. We identified everything from Medicaid payments going to rich people, over $100 million in welfare funds misspent or stolen, politicians using the state plane to attend out-of-state baseball games, and millions being spent on DEI programs at our universities. Tax Day is a frustrating day for everyone. But it's even more frustrating when you see tax dollars wasted on nonsense like this.

It doesn't matter how big of an out-of-state company you are or how many campaign donations you make to politicians. If you owe taxpayers money, we'll demand you pay it back.

Auditor Demands Private Prison Company Repay $7.4 Million to Taxpayers JACKSON, Miss. – Today State Auditor @ShadWhite announced over $7.4 million in civil demands to Management & Training Corporation (MTC). The demands have also been referred to the Attorney General’s Office for enforcement in court. “This is one of the largest civil demands made in the history of the Auditor’s Office,” said Auditor White. “We’re now turning this case over to the AG’s Office for enforcement to ensure accountability for taxpayers, and I hope they will litigate the case immediately.” The Auditor’s Office started investigating MTC when allegations arose that MTC was not providing the prison staff required by their contract with the state. Investigators found MTC failed to provide the minimum mandatory staff to ensure the safety of inmates and prison employees but were paid as if they had. White issued a $462,299.32 demand for improper staffing credits invoiced to the Mississippi Department of Corrections for the operation of the East Mississippi Correctional Facility, a $959,240.06 demand for improper staffing credits for the operation of the Marshall County Correctional Facility, and a $6,002,027.92 demand for improper staffing credits for the operation of the Wilkinson County Correctional Facility. “I don't care how big of an out-of-state company you are or how many campaign donations you make to the other politicians, if you owe taxpayers money because you failed to live up to a contract with government, we will demand you pay it back,” said White. “No free rides on the backs of taxpayers.” Suspected fraud can be reported to the Auditor’s office at any time by clicking the red button on the Auditor's website or calling 1-(800) 321-1275 during normal business hours.