State Auditor Shad White (left) and Attorney General Lynn Fitch (right) speak at the Mississippi Economic Council in Jackson, Miss., Oct. 26, 2023. (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis, File)
- “We don’t have time to play games like the Auditor,” Michelle Williams, Chief of Staff for Attorney General Lynn Fitch, said in response to Auditor Shad White’s claims.
The growing tension between State Auditor Shad White and Attorney General Lynn Fitch is palpable.
On Wednesday, White issued a statement announcing his office’s annual Audit Exceptions Report as required by state law. In the report, the Auditor “responded to questions about whether the Attorney General was consistently enforcing the findings of OSA investigations in court.” He notes the questions have come from lawmakers.
White claims that since May 2024, the State Auditor’s office has transmitted 29 cases to the Attorney General requesting standard legal guidance on whether the Attorney General will enforce the findings of those investigations in court. He said those cases represent over $4.5 million in misspent taxpayer funds.
To date, White said the Attorney General has only provided legal guidance on one of those cases, a case in Indianola.
According to the report, during White’s entire time as State Auditor, the office said they have sent 83 cases to the Attorney General’s Office so they could litigate to recover misspent money.
At present, White said no action has been taken by the Attorney General on 74 of these cases.
Magnolia Tribune sought a response from the Attorney General’s office late Wednesday given the claims made by the Auditor.
“This is exactly what we have come to expect from the Auditor,” Michelle Williams, Chief of Staff for Attorney General Fitch, said.
Williams said the Attorney General’s office shows 28 cases that are active parallel criminal cases.
“We have 41 with restitution orders in some stage of repayment. We have 29 referrals in active civil litigation. We have 16 that have been paid in full and another 23 that have only the Auditor’s investigative fees and/or interest remaining,” Williams said.
In 2024, Williams said the Attorney General’s office had a 96 percent success rate in defending the State.
In recapping a list of other items the office has successfully worked in recent years, Williams pointed to the overturning of Roe v. Wade and defneding state laws creating the CCID court, protecting children online, and protecting rural hospitals from Pharmacy Benefit Managers.
“We cleared nearly 600 foster kids for adoption. We held violent criminals accountable with the first 3 executions in a dozen years and had nearly 600 criminal appellate filings. We delivered more than $78 million in settlement dollars to the State – plus more than $80 million in opioid settlement funds,” she said of the Attorney General’s work.
“We don’t have time to play games like the Auditor,” Williams said. “We’re too busy working for the people of Mississippi.”
Both Fitch and White are frequently mentioned among those considered to be top contenders for governor in 2027. While Fitch has not publicly expressed her intentions, White has not shied away from letting it be known that he is exploring a gubernatorial run.
Auditor White’s annual report is shown below.
Frank Corder
