Mississippi Auditor recovers $1.1 million for taxpayers in FY26, highlights unprosecuted cases

JACKSON, Miss. — State Auditor Shad White announced that his office recovered $1,096,510.88 in taxpayer funds during fiscal year 2026, returning the money to the appropriate entities, according to an annual Audit Exceptions Report.

White emphasized the importance of protecting taxpayer dollars, stating, “Mississippians work hard for their money and they deserve to know every taxpayer dollar is being protected.” He added that the Office of the Auditor will continue to serve as the state’s watchdog to uncover waste, fraud, and abuse.

The report also highlights a significant amount of outstanding demands issued by the Office of the State Auditor that remain unpaid. The Mississippi Supreme Court has ruled that only the Attorney General’s Office can enforce these demands in court, not the Auditor’s Office.

In connection with the Mississippi Department of Human Services welfare scandal, the Auditor’s Office issued demands totaling more than $96 million and referred them to the Attorney General for enforcement. The Attorney General’s Office recovered only $18,000 of that amount last year.

Beyond the DHS cases, the Office of the Auditor has issued demands in 103 cases with a total outstanding balance of nearly $15.8 million. The Attorney General’s Office has taken no action in 95 of these cases, according to the report.

The 2026 Exceptions Report is organized by county to facilitate public access and can be viewed online under the “Reports” tab on the Auditor’s website.

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