Note: JJ is working through the lawsuit. This post will be updated several times.
The clawback lawsuit's claws are getting longer and longer indeed. The Mississippi Department of Human Services is going after more parties in its efforts to recoup TANF funds embezzled by the Krewe of New in the DHS scandal. DHS issued the following statement this morning:
The Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS) today filed a motion to amend its civil complaint in ongoing litigation concerning TANF funds. The proposed First Amended Complaint attached to the motion brings original or amended claims against various parties alleged to have been responsible for or to have been recipients of misspent TANF funds.
MDHS is seeking to amend the complaint to include “all claims under the Mississippi Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act (UFTA), arising out of the same transaction or occurrence as the principal claim.” This statute permits MDHS to recover funds from recipients to whom direct recipients of TANF funds may have transferred those funds.
Following months of discovery by MDHS legal counsel, the proposed amended complaint adds new defendants as parties, including:
- N3 Holdings
- JTS Enterprises
- USM Athletic Foundation
- Lobaki, Inc.
- Lobaki Foundation
- William Longwitz
- Jacob Black
- Garrig Shields
- Inside Capitol, LLC
- William, Weiss, Hester and Co., PLLC (an accounting firm)
Amending the complaint affords MDHS additional legal grounds to recoup the taxpayer funds that were used outside the intended scope of TANF to help Mississippi’s neediest residents. The additional defendants being added are alleged to have either received TANF funds for purposes which were not authorized under TANF or to have engaged in a conspiracy to award TANF funds for such unallowable purposes.
“I am appreciative of the leadership at the Warren, Washington, Issaquena, Sharkey Community Action Agency (WWISCAA) for their responsiveness to MDHS’ request to satisfy claims identified in the original complaint. Following repayment of $49,190 to MDHS, WWISCAA has been removed from the complaint,” stated Bob Anderson, Executive Director Mississippi Department of Human Services. “Additionally, claims against Brett Favre have been reduced by $1.1 million due to the repayment of those unallowable costs. This agency will continue to be receptive to offers from other parties simply to repay the TANF funds, which they should not have received.”
As in any civil lawsuit, as discovery continues, MDHS reserves the opportunity to amend the complaint further to include additional parties and additional claims.
“Governor Tate Reeves tasked me with correcting the path of MDHS,” said Bob Anderson, Executive Director of MDHS.
“As part of that process, MDHS has been working hard to restore trust and put in place numerous internal controls to ensure that misspending is not repeated in the future,” Anderson stated."The rest of the task involves recovering and returning to the taxpayers the millions of dollars in misspent funds which were intended to benefit Mississippi’s needy families. We continue that task with this motion to file an amended civil complaint.”
Suspected fraud can be reported to MDHS online any time by submitting the MDHS Fraud Tip Form at https://www.mdhs.ms.gov/
report-fraud/, calling the Fraud Tip Line during normal business hours at 1-(800)-299-6905, or email at fraud@mdhs.ms.gov. MDHS will not comment further on this case as this is an active litigation.
Jones Walker attorneys Kaytie Pickett and Adam Stone represent DHS. The case is assigned to Circuit Judge Faye Peterson.
Jess New & Magnolia Strategies.
DHS wants Nancy New's son, Jess New, to repay $500,000. New is an attorney and owns Magnolia Strategies, LLC. The complaint states he founded the company for the sole purpose of receiving TANF funds. New opened the company in October 2017. MCEC paid Magnolia $250,000 in 2018 and again in 2019. No contract existed. Magnolia did not submit any invoices MCEC's bookkeeper asked Jess for an invoice in 2019. The complaint states:
257. Using TANF Funds, MCEC purchased a $54,221 Ford F250 Truck in November 2018 for the personal use and benefit of Jess New. The direct purchase of this vehicle with grant funds is not allowable under federal regulations and was not for a lawful TANF-purpose.
The complaint seeks a grand total of $554,221 from the Executive Director of of the Mississippi Oil and Gas Board.
Will Longwitz & Inside Capitol, LLC
TANF regulations ban paying for lobbying with TANF funds but Nancy New and Christi Webb still paid lobbyist Will Longwitz $14,000 in 2017, $150,325 in 2018, and $154,000 in 2019. Although Longwitz signed a memorandum of understanding, no contract existed between MCEC and Inside Capitol. However, he registered as MCEC's lobbyist in 2018. Needless to say, DHS wants Longwitz to repay $318,325. Longwitz is a former State Senator and Madison County Court Judge.
Lobaki Foundation & Lobaki Inc.
MCEC used Families First of Mississippi to award $635,000 to the Lobaki Foundation to create a virtual reality academy for students at 750 North State Street and 200 South Lamar Street. The entire contract amount was paid in a lump sum at the beginning of the term. Lobaki received an additional $160,000. Only 2 students graduated at a cost of $13,250 per student.
MCEC leased space from Hertz at the Lamar Street site. The complaint states:
267. Zachary New also pleaded guilty to Wire Fraud. Mr. New’s plea states that he, in concert with Nancy New and John Davis, knowingly transferred $500,000 in TANF funds for the construction of a virtual reality center at City Centre in Jackson. Mr. New’s plea goes on to state that the conspirators disguised the construction project as a lease as a means of circumventing the prohibition against money going to brick and mortar construction project.
DHS asked the Court to require the Lobaki organizations to repay $795,000 in TANF funds. (#319).
Williams, Weiss, Hester, & Co.
Williams, Weiss, Hester, & Co was the accounting firm for MCEC. DHS accused Williams Weiss of ignoring MCEC's illegal subgrants when it audited the non-profit organization every years. The complaint states:
415. MDHS reasonably relied upon WWH’s independent audits to its detriment. WWH’s audits concealed MCEC’s misuse of TANF and enabled MCEC to continue to obtain TANF Subgrants.
416. WWH’s breach of its duty to MDHS was a substantial contributing cause of MDHS’s damages.
Although DHS wants to recover against the accounting firm, the agency will have to take its place in line. Nancy New and her son Zach accused their former accountants, Williams, Weiss, Hester, & Company of negligence in a lawsuit filed in Hinds County Circuit Court on May 3, 2021. The News and Williams Weiss are skirmishing over discovery in the lawsuit.
The complaint charges Williams Weiss with a count of professional negligence. DHS asked Judge Peterson to determine the amount of damages at trial.
USM Athletic Foundation
Brett Favre made a "handshake deal" with the USM Athletic Foundation in 2017 to fund the construction of a new volleyball facility. The Southern Miss legend personally guaranteed the funds. However, Favre's fortune was not as widespread as his fame and he was unable to get his friends to donate the money needed for construction. Favre and Nancy New sat on the Foundation's Board of Directors.
Favre met with Teddy Dibiase, New, John Davis, DHS Deputy Executive Director Garrig Sheilds, and USM Athletic Director Jon Gilbert on July 24, 2017 to discuss funding construction of the volleyball facility. Always the problem solver, Davis "suggested" his agency could provide $4 million to the project. Chrsti Webb and New supported Davis.
However, not everyone was kosher with using DHS money to fund a brand-spanking new volleyball facility even though DHS funds can not be used to fund construction. The Foundation said it was "leary" of accepting such a grant and instead suggested Davis distribute the funds to a third-party who would provide them to the Foundation. The complaint states the Foundation was "scared to death" of using the funds. Ignoring the Foundation's fears, Favre urged New to help the project. The Foundation, Nancy New, Zach New, and Favre eventually agreed to use MCEC as a pass-through for the funds. The psychohistory states MCEC provided the funds to the Foundation in exchange for a sub-lease of the facility. Mission accomplished.
Readers will not be surprised to learn MCEC leased a "sky-box" at M.M. Roberts Stadium during football games. The conspiracy to loot DHS continued:
94. At John Davis’s direction, Jacob Black and Garrig Shields met with Assistant USM Athletic Director Daniel Feig, Athletic Director Jon Gilbert, and a group of USM administrators to discuss the “sublease.” Black and Shields advised at this meeting that the source of the funds would be TANF funds and that the sublease would be with MCEC because MDHS “can’t directly fund a building project.”
95. Black and Shields were both attorneys, although neither was serving as an attorney for MDHS at the time. They both understood the limitations on the use of TANF funds for TANF purposes and the federal regulations governing federal grant funds. Despite this, both encouraged the Foundation to move forward with executing a Sublease with MCEC to be paid with MDHS-provided TANF funds.
The Foundation executed the sub-lease while MCEC paid $5 million to the Foundation in November and December of 2017. Construction of the volleyball facility ended in December 2019, two years after MCEC paid the "rent" up-front. MCEC only used a Southern Miss facility once in five years. However, the volleyball drama continued.
Mr. Favre decided the facility needed the addition of a beach volleyball facility. However, Favre didn't want to pay for what he wanted so he went to his new-found Sugar Mama, Nancy New, for more DHS money. The new best friends agreed for MCEC to funnel TANF funds to the Foundation in Favre's name. Favre promised to make appearances and record PSA's for MCEC in exchange for the funds. The complaint continues the story:
103. Favre knew that this was a sham designed to allow MDHS to cover Favre’s commitment to fund construction of the volleyball facility. Therefore, Favre expressed to Nancy New concern that the media never discover the source of these payments on his behalf.
104. MCEC paid Favre $1.1 million in TANF grant funds supposedly as compensation for Favre’s recording radio advertisements or making speeches or appearances on behalf of MCEC and FRC. Favre possibly recorded a single twenty-second radio advertisement.
The good times came to an end when State Auditor Shad White demanded Favre repay $1.1 million with interest. Favre repaid the $1.1 million but has yet to pay the interest. The complaint minces no words in charging Favre had unclean hands:
107. Favre understood that the TANF Funds that MCEC paid to the Foundation were “grant funds” that were paid on his behalf. Favre knew that John Davis was providing grant funds from MDHS to MCEC for construction of the volleyball facility, and he knew that MDHS is Mississippi’s “welfare agency.” Favre discussed the source of the funding—MDHS—with Jon Gilbert. And Favre texted Jake VanLandingham regarding Nancy New: “She has strong connections and gave me 5 million for Vball facility via grant money.”
DHS argues the Foundation knew TANF grant funds were used to fund its project even though there are restrictions on how such funds are used. Driving the point home, the complaint states the Foundation recorded the phony lease payments as donations instead of lease payments on its tax returns.
The complaint states the Foundation owes $5 million in TANF funds to DHS.
Jacob Black
DHS simply wants $6,889,958 million from former DHS Deputy Administrator Jacob Black. The complaint charges:
354. Black provided substantial assistance to John Davis, Nancy New, Zachary New, and MCEC by providing the template for the sham USM Athletic Foundation Sublease as a means of fraudulently disguising the true nature of the payments made to the USM Athletic Foundation.
355. Black is jointly and severally liable for the damages caused to MDHS through his aiding and abetting the wrongful and fraudulent transfer of funds to Heart of David, NCC Ventures, and the USM Athletic Foundation, in a total amount of $6,889,958.74, plus pre- and post-judgment interest, costs, and attorneys’ fees.
Garrig Shields
Deputy DHS Executive Director Garrig Shields might have to pay up as well. The complaint simply states:
361. Shields is jointly and severally liable for the damages caused to MDHS through his aiding and abetting the wrongful and fraudulent transfer of funds to Teddy DiBiase, Priceless Ventures, and the USM Athletic Foundation, in a total amount of $6,747,987, plus pre- and post-judgment interest, costs, and attorneys’ fees.
Kingfish note: But, but, but, Tate was making DHS sweep everything under the rug when DHS did not renew Brad Pigott's contract.
69 comments:
Tate was making DHS sweep everything under the rug when DHS did not renew Brad Pigott's contract.
Undeniable that the s[pigott] of confidential leaks to the Barksdalers has gone bone dry.
Maybe i'm wrong, but didn't USM "generously" offer the use of the Volleyball facility to the persons it was described to be for, for 5 years. This outfit is so tone deft. The money was procured under false pretenses and they are going to allow the poor of the state to use it for 5 years
What do with the pictures of the Oil and Gas board have to do with any thing? Is this another story or are they in the DHS audit?
Jess New is the Director of the Oil and Gas Board, and Kingfish is pandering for clicks.
While everyone was freaking out over Pigott's release, I said just chill and wait a few months. These are good, reputable lawyers. If within six months they don't do anything, then gripe.
If the listed persons and entities performed legitimate work under contracts from a MS governmental agency, how can the listed persons and entities be responsible for paying back the funds that the agency was apparently using the funds illegally?
The former Mississippi Dev Authority head honcho went to Lobaki. Interesting. Was Phil funneling money to his friend? Wonder what that audit looks like.
An Executive Director of a state agency is credibly accused of ripping off DHS in illegal spending of TANF funds and I'm baiting for clicks. Suck it.
Everyone was rightly freaking out over Piggot’s firing because of the reason they fired him: for issuing a subpoena to Southern Miss regarding contacts with the disgraced former governor. Clearly there are powerful people with an interest in this case and they wanted Southern Miss protected.
said Auditor White. “This should be a lesson to every politician: you cannot lie and defraud the public of money.” https://www2.osa.ms.gov/news/former-
“ Clearly there are powerful people with an interest in this case and they wanted Southern Miss protected.
December 5, 2022 at 12:17 PM”
Oh please. This isn’t about Southern Miss. This looks like it is about cutting off the investigation so that it didn’t lead down the rabbit holes to to where Phil was stashing money around the state.
An important name seems to be missing from the list: Phil Bryant. Must’ve been a clerical oversight.
A non-renewal is not a firing.
If this isn't in Deppity Pheel and Tater's playlists it should be!
Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FsFaVxcUMhQ
@ 12:45: all parts of both your comment and the one you quoted could be true!
12:17, or they were concerned with Pigott's constant running of the mouth to the partisan blog, they let his contract lapse and hired a real firm to do the work.
Jacob Black takes this matter to the Governor’s Office.
Governor Bryant takes the information and becomes the “whistleblower” to Shad White.
Jacob Black gets sued.
This is an injustice.
Do not be a whistleblower, boys and girls.
The real culprits are the ex Governor who’s over the Agency head, the assistant attorney assigned to DHS that looked over the legality of the funds transfer and the ex Director of MDHS John Davis, and his staff that worked on these projects.
Now DHS need to make their minds up on what monies they want back, does Brett owe $1.1 mil or does Brett owe $5 mil.
Tomorrow it will change to Brett owes $100 million. Now you can see how monies get squandered by our great officials.
Still no SuperTalk? I’m shocked (NOT!)
Flippity flip flip.
Only so many seats available on the cooperating witness bus headed out of state when the feds come to town.
Don't try to claim your ticket after the bus is full!
Will Longwitz got paid $157K a year to "Lobby" is criminal in its own right.
That is a joke.
Great reporting, KF. Keep it coming, and y'all good ol' boys need to break out your checkbooks.
If Brett Favre only had Coach Prime in his life early on he would have exhibited much more integrity post NFL.
So with all the evidence that’s already been reported, and knowing there’s surely more, how can DHS sue former DHS executives, Brett Favre and USM and not sue Phil Bryant along with them?
Wonder how exactly Will spread that lobby money around.
@2:01 PM - Methinks that the TANF snitch bus is full, as is the Canton snitch bus.
Honest Question: How are these people supposed to know that they were paid with misappropriated funds? If I am operating a lemonade stand, I don't ask the customer where they got the $1 for the purchase.
Soul City Hospitality? Who DAT?
David Watkins Jr and Jeff Good in there?
lol
When the MS GOP gets caught doing something stupid, wait a minute and either Longwitz or Pickering will pop up. Happens every time.
Honestly, I'd just as soon see these crooks get the money as I would the so-called "needy families" who spend it on booze and cigarettes. At least we get a something lasting out of this like a volley ball stadium.
1) Explain the 'first amendment' reference.
2) Why no mention (yet) of muscle-man Paul Lacoste?
3) Never underestimate Kingfish's ability to snap on the kitchen light and spot roaches.
At this point just go ahead an euthanize Favre. Nobody is going to ever listen to facts and understand that he is not a criminal mastermind. He is a bit of an ass, but apparently the masses are ok with that being enough to convict and they will certainly be ok with that same standard of guilt if they ever accept government approved funds that were incorrectly allocated.
And Phil is clearly untouchable. They even began airing a new "thank you for helping us get our Daddies back" commercial to let us peasants know how the fix is in and he will NOT be liable for this theft. And HE should be.
@4:27 bingo
Anonymous said...A non-renewal is not a firing.
Well, technically December 5, 2022 at 1:06 PM, that's correct. But why split that hair? Non-renewal of a contract with a contractor amounts to cutting the contractor loose. So does firing.
Fact remains, the high rollers decided he was too big for his britches and snatched them to his ankles.
"Now DHS need to make their minds up on what monies they want back, does Brett owe $1.1 mil or does Brett owe $5 mil."
Please pay attention. He owes neither. The State Auditor claims Favre owes the interest on the money he already returned.
The federal program gives the State money. Has stated objectives, feel good stuff that the community rejects, traditional family, girls reaching 15 and not pregnant, graduating high school and being literate. Not a crime hidden, just how Mississippi rolls. Seems more like entrapment, common sense says it was going into connected pockets. Just how I see it. Now the legal system profits which is part of the scheme.
Jacob Black is a senior manager at Medicaid. How does he still have a job in state government?
Why is Phil Bryant not on this list? and who the hell thought it was a good idea to hire Will Longwitz to do anything? Unbelievable!!
Get Phil!!
Do we have unough Jell cells for the whole University of Southern Mississippi alumni members?
4:27 I totally agree. The people know who authorized this misappropriation and spend time throwing us off about Our famous football great.
I’ll put it plain and simple. Brett received misappropriated monies, Nancy New received misappropriated monies, the rest received misappropriated monies and so on. You know damn well who enticed, approved, and allowed the the misappropriation, it is the EX GOVERNOR and the Assistant Attorney General assigned to MDHS.
Let’s quit playing games and nip this shit in the bud. If you don’t go after the real movers and shakers. Just count this whole incident as a loss and move on.
Will Longwitz --- Uh oh!
As someone who’s lived here and loved this state from my abject-poverty beginnings to a fairly comfortable adulthood, these things that surround me in the media are tearing me down.
How can anyone in their right mind think you can steal from the Federal Government and not be caught? How much money, fame, and power is enough? Shame on all of you that participated. All of you.
Phil Bryant got lazy his second term. He went around the state doing what he did best--simply wanted to be popular without ever having to do anything hard. It is BS that the companies who got funds from Phil's Feel Good Fund are the bad guys. How are they suppose to know the rules? That is literal what we vote for politicians to do or to hire people to do.
3:20 Brett did have a "Coach Prime" in his early days. His dad Irvin was a no-nonsense coach who would quickly tan the hide of his kids if they got out of line. When Brett started at USM he began to really act independantly, but I have no doubt if Irv were still alive none of this would have happened.
TANF funds came from the feds to the state. None of the people being sued held that checkbook. It was given to them by state officials. How does this complaint completely leap over all of the elected officials, agency heads, lawyers for the state, and everyone else with the responsibility to legally disburse these funds, and only go after the people named in this complaint? Where is the legal accountability for the people who had the original duty to administer and safeguard these funds? If they can plead stupidity and incompetence, why is that not also a defense for each of the people in this complaint?
You people need to get a grip. Phil Bryant had zero to do with this. People asked him who they needed to talk to and he directed them to the people they needed to talk to. He never signed off on anything. All of the crimes happened at the DHS level. If DHS's employees and contractors defense is Guv Bryant sent him to me and I made it happen in order to please Guv Bryant, that is no defense at all. They have to prove that Guv Bryant told them to make it happen. Absolutely no one has said that in their defense. The closest thing one has claimed is Bryant saying "see if you can help him out" (paraphrasing).
Then Guv Bryant said there is a problem here in doing construction projects with this money and told the duly elected State Auditor.
It is sort of disgusting that, without evidence, folks want to try to rope in a person that they don't like and falsely accuse him of a crime. This is straight forward, people. The investigators are not crooked. Pigott had no case against Bryant, but he let his politics interfere with his judgement. How many investigators on his staff agreed with him? We didn't hear about a mass resignation of investigators when he was fired. Nobody agreed with him, except for democrats who wanted to have a republican scandal.
If you think Guv Bryant committed a crime state your evidence. Nothing that is public indicates any crime by Bryant.
PS - Rooting for the best for your college is not a crime. Connecting movers and shakers is not a crime. You have to prove a crime happened. And in this case you can't.
Best wishes everybody!
What about the Assistant Attorney General that was assigned to IHL? I think she should have some culpabilities as well, don't you? She signed off on it, twice. Gosh, what was her name, it escapes me..... If only I could remember. I do remember seeing her photo and thought it was uncanny how she looked just like the Editor-in-Chief at the Mississippi Today, Adam Ganna-Show. Weird, it is like that never really was talked about very much by that "news" organization.
Ask any contractor who does business with the State and they'll tell you EVERYTHING is paid for, at least in part, with grant money. Your tax dollars might keep Tate in corndogs but just about everything you see around you that isn't falling down was paid for by the Feds. As a contractor, though, there's no way to know what percentage of your pay is coming from grants, versus budget versus somewhere else. In my experience, many of the people working in these agencies don't even know where money is coming from. Expecting a contractor to know exactly what's being paid for by a grant, what specific grant is funding the work, what the grant allows (which can be pretty vague), what the grant recipient said they'd use the money for, etc., is completely unrealistic. That's why the state has all those lawyers. That's THEIR duty to figure out. I do some work for the state for a year and then they decide THEY screwed up and weren't supposed to do that with the money and what? Somebody comes and takes my house? This state would fall apart if it didn't have the actual expertise of independent contractors to rely on when pop hits the fan (water plant anyone?). Are y'all sure this is the message you want to send to them?
@1:06pm
"A non-renewal is not a firing."
But it is an "adverse employment action" per the Second Circuit.
10:17 - so you haven't read Feel's emails?
Yeah, it's criminal activity.
To use a phrase coined by John Dean of Watergate fame, I guess the President of USM was a 'potted plant in the corner' while the Athletic Foundation and Favre were engaged in the plan to construct a volleyball structure on campus. Right.
The President decided to immediately end his stay at USM January a year ago, coinciding perfectly with the ramp-up of the shit hitting the proverbial fan in this whole TANF mess.
Are we expected to believe that negotiations and plans for construction on a university campus would not at least pass under the president's nose for routine approval? Meanwhile, he packed his bags and left town.
It seems U-haul WILL rent to potted plants.
And tate was sweeping away praying the shit spewing in his face would not be seen
But Brad named names and Jim Waide filed motions and $77,000,000 is shit ton of cash to steal
So now….new narrative
Tate is actually wanting state to get money back! Riigghhttttt
But wait there’s more!
The blog owner says he knew all along that tate wanted money back and did not want to sweep this under the Republican rug…..rigghhhtttttt
Sad indeed as gaslighters gonna gaslight
The real question is why weren't these defendants included in the original complaint. Answer: politics and cronyism.
By the way, belatedly adding these defendants will not defeat charges of conspiracy to defraud and hinder government claims. A failed criminal conspiracy is still a criminal conspiracy. In fact, the proposed amended complaint is just more evidence of the conspiracy to cover up the USM Foundation, Lobaki and Longwitz claims. Just gets more and more sickening.
@6:02 - That quote came from Brendan Sullivan, counsel for Oliver North, in the Iran-Contra congressional hearings.
Why is it taking so long to get to the bottom of this fiasco. He owes this, he owes that!
Does this also need to be approved by the Heads at the top of the Sillers bldg on whose accused.
Now if you ask the assistant attorney generals assigned to assist the powers to be on legal decisions you might as well go to the Ouija Board game.
Why have Assistant Attorneys Generals assigned to State Agencies if the Agency Heads don’t follow their advice. They are toothless! No bite.
The Agency Head gave Brett that money which was given the go ahead and approved by the ???????.
10:17 - Phil/Joey/Katie, you’d better get some sleep. Gotta look refreshed and stress free in all the Facebook pics.
Never said that. I simply said wait a few months and see what happens. If nothing happens, then gripe. But I"m not going to crucify them because Brad the Bawler (oh, I'm sorry, that's Waide who bawls in court, bawls on tv, bawls in his motions) whined to the media when he didn't get his own gummint grub.
Paying Longwitz $300,000+ to lobby might be the largest waste of money in all of this. That is, unless you charged him with lobbying against your cause. If you did that, your measures would pass with flying colors. Of all the lobbyists, you pick him? Few people under that dome built a reputation of dishonesty and dislike as quickly as he did.
You bring up a good point. Why is DHS having to hire lawyers when the AG could be filing the lawsuits? DHS probably had to hire its own lawyers because the AG sat on it. DHS probably should have established a China connection.
8:13 - Nevertheless, the potted plant analogy is rather appropriate to the discussion. It's ludicrous to think the president of the university had no knowledge of and complicity in the project. The 'what, who me?' position is laughable.
I knew that I should have bought stock in shredders, Wipedrive, and Bleachbit.
I'd like to flesh out some of the Longwitz hate here. I didn't support him to become an elected Judge (no experience) after his appointment, but he seems like a nice guy, albeit trying to operate in an area to suckle off the GOP teat that was above his ability to navigate. But I have never heard anyone accuse him of being a criminal. Comments about him being a bad lobbyist have a feel as being from same person, that may have an ax to grind. What, you wish you would have been the person that got the $300K? Could have shielded better??
"How does this complaint completely leap over all of the elected officials, agency heads, lawyers for the state, and everyone else with the responsibility to legally disburse these funds, and only go after the people named in this complaint?"
Wasn't it Attorney General Hood who famously said prosecuting Dickie Scruggs would be like prosecuting family? Or something to that effect.
Isn't USM an "arm of the state" and shielded with sovereign immunity (11th Amendment)? The state can't sue itself. Perhaps they can civilly sue the president, officers and board members in their individual capacities?
6:20 - Government can't sue itself? You haven't watched much of the recent mayor vs council vs mayor comedy have you?
@9:33am
That's because of idiot judges afraid to actually render a ruling and then kick the can down the road, which is par for Mississippi. Also, Chok and the JCC case should never have seen the light of day.... but lawyers have to make money so the judges churn that shit. Part of the good ole' boys/girls legal club.
3:57 - Your post does nothing to support the contention that government can't sue itself.
@12:59am Lawyers can literally file whatever (a ham sandwich) they want, but it's up to the idiot judges to decide if the case proceeds or not. Far too much is allowed to proceed by idiot judges (that shouldn't be) and far too much is dismissed by idiot judges (that shouldn't be).
Idiot judges will be the ruin of society.
The state can't sue itself, nor another state. The feds however can sue individual state officers of a state for fraud.
Don @ 6:02, I agree fully and have been asking the same in my circles.
Why did Mr. USM Prez flee a cush gig like that and why is he not mentioned in this at all?
Very odd.
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