State Auditor spoke at the 2021 Neshoba County Fair on Thursday.
Shad White starts off by saying how hard it is to believe that he has been in this job for three years.
“In that time I have pushed myself hard, I’ve pushed my staff hard..” said White. “..In that time I think we have done some good things for you.”
White discusses how over the last three years they have successfully investigated two of the three largest public embezzlement schemes in Mississippi history. This past year, their investigators also discovered more misspending than they have in the years prior.
“We’re winning on behalf of you, that’s the main thing. Every time we win, it’s on the behalf,” he said.
Auditor White stated that Mississippi is the best place to live in the country and it is worth fighting for.
“We cannot rely on the old way of doing things if we want to address problems in Mississippi,” said White.
White addressed that there’s an easy way to be State Auditor—where you don’t audit, investigate, or make anybody mad—and then there is the right way.
He reiterated that he chooses the right way, so that he can tell his kids that he did the best he could to make Mississippi stronger, regardless of the political consequences.
“A big reason I do this is for my daughters. Because at the end of my time as State Auditors, I want to look at my daughters in the eyes and say ‘I did that job to the best of my ability no matter the consequences,” said the State Auditor. “I’m committed to making Mississippi the best it can possibly be.”
Anne Summerhays
