Tuesday, May 14, 2019

State Auditor Issues Demand on Lincoln Supes

State Auditor Shadrick Meshack Abednego White issued the following statement.

Today State Auditor Shad White issued a civil demand to current Chancery Clerk of Lincoln County Tillmon Bishop for failure to reimburse the county for employee salary expenses from his office. Four current Lincoln County Supervisors were also issued civil demands related to voting to improperly pay the salary of a chancery clerk employee with county funds.

In Mississippi, chancery clerks are compensated for work based on the volume of services provided by their office. After paying or reimbursing the county for employee salaries and deducting other allowed expenses from the office account, a chancery clerk may receive annual pay of up to $90,000 from fees collected for services provided. Any additional fee payments received by the chancery clerk’s office must be transferred to the respective county general fund annually.

Mississippi county supervisors can vote to pay chancery clerk employee salaries if reimbursed by the clerk’s office. Investigators from the Auditor’s office concluded the county supervisors voted to pay these salaries, but Bishop failed to reimburse the county for over $125,000 in employee salaries from 2015 to 2018. This was discovered after a field auditor identified accounting irregularities during an audit of Lincoln County. The demand Bishop received is worth $165,813.11 and includes investigative costs and interest.

Current and former Lincoln County Supervisors Clarence E. Brown, Bobby J. Watts, Nolan E. Williamson, and William D. Falvey were also issued demand letters today for voting to improperly pay one of Bishop’s employees for performing bookkeeping services for the clerk’s office. Each demand received by the current supervisors is worth $5,666.00 and includes investigative costs and interest.

"It's critical that officials abide by spending rules. And taxpayers in the county should not be on the hook when an official doesn't abide by the rules,” said State Auditor Shad White.

Representatives from the Mississippi Office of the State Auditor deliver over 75 training presentations each year to groups of public officials, and many of these are directed toward county supervisors and chancery clerks. The office also maintains a Technical Assistance Division for public servants to call if questions about how to handle public money arise. This division can be reached by calling 1-(800)-321-1275.

If Bishop does not pay the amount of the demand letter in full within 30 days, the case will be transmitted to the office of the Attorney General for that office to pursue repayment on behalf of taxpayers in a court of law.

16 comments:

Cynical Sam said...

Go Mr. Shad!

Anonymous said...

Shad talks about 'the rules' as if this is a game of checkers. How about the damned LAW?

Anonymous said...

Why you mocking Shad KF? Sheesh. He's trying to affect some real change in Mississippi where it hurts the corrupt the most.....

Anonymous said...

@3:30 PM
You must be new here. Having your name mocked by KF is a rite of passage for public servants. Doubley so if it is something that rhymes or involves a pop culture reference.

Anonymous said...

@3:22 Yes, it seems like this is a "game" to White. He's grabbed some low hanging fruit in a timely way, but it seems like he just wants to get noticed come election time. If he were really serious about giving Mississippi the enema it needs, he'd call in the feds to look in every nook and cranny....because there. is. plenty.

Anonymous said...

... it seems like he just wants to get noticed come election time.

Planning ahead for 2023? That is smart.

It Ain't Just Rudy.. said...

Waiting for Shad to make his way up to Madison County.

Dum De Dum Dum

Cynical Sam said...

If doing his job in a superb manner is "getting attention," then good for him. Get some more of that "attention."


Go Shad! You da man!

Anonymous said...

@5:51, you obviously have no idea how state and federal jurisdiction(s) interface. You probably thought 1523 was an effective law, too. A violation of federal law must be committed for any federal investigation to occur. Likewise, violation of state law would only warrant an investigation by a Mississippi entity. Call Mike Hurst or DJT if you have a problem with that.

And all of y'all saying "low fruit:" would you rather have no fruit??

Anonymous said...

One would think that as rapidly as White has exposed "state" corruption, that the feds would be concerned about their dollars as well.....so yeah, Mike Hurst should be investigating the crap out of every federal dollar and where it's going...or not. DOJ apparently seems interested enough now in the Kemper abortion.....What's also interesting is the US Attorney up north hasn't been heard from on much of anything because he's too busy covering for the Oxford insiders.

Anonymous said...

Seems our auditor's top concern is press coverage.

Anonymous said...

@9:52 would you rather never hear from him?

Anonymous said...


I noticed in the press release that Lincoln County Supervisor Nolan Williamson was involved. He is of no relation to the Nolan Williamson in Madison County.

Sincerely,
Nolan Williamson in Madison County

Anonymous said...

@9:01 AM - you aren't totally correct. Did you know that federal officers assigned to federal parks, other federal land, Natchez Trace, etc., charge offenders with state statutes when there is no applicable federal statute?

Going further, these state statutes are prosecuted in...wait for it...federal court.

Frank Griffin said...

You bitches will complain about lack of transparency in government, and then get snarky when a state agency issues standard press releases about what it is doing. Why not go have a drink, say in the High Sierras.

Anonymous said...

Auditors office was supposed to be looking into a school district on the coast. Word is that nothing will come of it and the parties will simply retire and ride off into the sunset. Would like to see JJ cover this issue if details can be found.



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