Mississippi Swindle

Mississippi State Auditor Shad White shares the details of his investigation into the largest public fraud scheme in Mississippi's history in his book, "Mississippi Swindle." He reveals how influential individuals stole millions from the TANF program intended for needy families. The scam came to light when a whistleblower alerted then-Governor Phil Bryant, who contacted White. Despite challenges, White and his team halted the scam and apprehended those involved.

The scheme involved notable figures, including the former head of the Department of Human Services, leaders of North Mississippi-based nonprofits, a scrutinized doctor, a former NFL star, and others. White recounts their investigation in the book, facing threats due to the popularity of the accused. Nonetheless, he pursued justice for Mississippi's needy.

Before this scandal, I knew Brett Favre, a renowned figure in South Mississippi where I grew up. Personally, I wasn't a fan. I’ve always found him to be a bit of a jerk. Like him, I attended the University of Southern Mississippi and earned two degrees there. Despite his wealth, Favre sought funds to build a volleyball facility at the university, displaying greed and entitlement. Favre had previously committed his own funds to pay for the volleyball court but to advantage of the opportunity to use public funds instead of his own funds.

I found the book fascinating. As a Mississippi native familiar with its politics, I wasn't surprised by many details. Some believe they're above the law. While recovering the stolen $100 million may be unlikely, White deserves recognition for his efforts.

I highly recommend this book. Kudos to NetGalley, Steerforth Press, and Shad White for the opportunity to read this ARC.

I thoroughly enjoyed this - wow. Not only was the subject matter so interesting but White takes the time to introduce and describe all the relevant players in a way that makes this feel more like a fictional story than a memoir. It reads similarly to a novel and is hard to put down. As someone that has knowledge and experience as an auditor and is now in the nonprofit industry and familiar with how federal grants work, I was already interested in the scandal; but the interest continues to build for the reader as you move through the chapters as the scheme just pulls you in. White does a nice job of explaining the fraud in a way that any reader could understand. There were a handful of times it slowed down or pulled in information I’m not sure was needed but overall it was an informative and enjoyable read that I would recommend.

I received ARC from publisher.

Anyone that has followed the work of Mississippi State Auditor Shad White knows that it doesn’t matter who you are, if you’ve misspent money in this state, he’s coming for you. I’ve even joked that if his own beloved mama was involved in such nefarious activities, he’d charge her, too. So, who better should tell the story of the gross incompetence, greed, and corruption of the Mississippi Department of Human Resources in the misappropriation of millions of TANF Federal dollars that lined the pockets Of John Davis, The New family, and Brett Favre to name a few. Just as with his auditing investigations, Shad White holds no punches when revealing the shocking and in some cases, ridiculous acts of fraud that slipped by due to little oversight of TANF Grant spending. If all
politicians were made of the same material White is made of, fraudulent activity like what occurred in Mississippi would be much less frequent.

I followed the news story as it unfolded, but as I read unbelievable after unbelievable detail of this welfare debacle, I found my eyes wide and my mouth open in awe of the absolute lack of integrity from all involved. Everyone should read this book and it will definitely be in my school library when it’s published. I, for one, am appreciative for the detailed insight into this tale of governmental corruption.

Mississippi Swindle
Shad White
5 stars

Wow, what a book! First-hand look from the man who with his team brought down the biggest welfare fraud in the state of Mississippi, and Brett Favre's part of the scam. A fascinating insight into what power and money do to those who believe they are immune to consequences.

Favre's part in this and his absolute lack of accountability is outrageous, as well as all of those high profile people who let this slide as long as they did. However, Mr. White has left us with hope that one person/team can make a difference even in the face of overwhelming odds.

This is a highly readable book that many many people will enjoy.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher and Netgalley.

This is one of the best books I’ve ever read (and I read A LOT). It’s the ultimate insider’s account of a widespread government conspiracy and fraud that is still unfolding at present. This can be classified as true crime, with a touch of memoir, based in a love of its setting — Mississippi — and her separate and unequal society. What makes it great is the author’s recognizing that at its heart, he’s recounting a David vs. Goliath story where, for a change, the little guy wins (so far — the story’s not yet over.) White is the Mississippi state auditor under whose leadership an unprecentedly huge fraud was uncovered iinvolving misuse and outright theft by a few of $100 million+ TANF funds, federal funds to lift families out of poverty that are given in a block grant to states to use as they deem fit. Yes Mississippi has more poor people than almost any state in the Union. And yes, TANF funds are subject to voluminous regulations that govern how they can be spent. (I know - I work for an agency that spends them carefully and correctly in another state.) There are systems in place to ensure the regulations are enforced. Except — when the fraud is led by the head of the very state dept. charged with distributing the funds. And when that fraud is tacitly (or openly) sanctioned by officials, celebrities, nonprofits created to serve the poor, and in many cases, public opinion. The true drama at the heart of the story comes from the author’s detailed account of how the evidence was uncovered by his department’s able, honest auditors, state law enforcement and other officials. And how widespread the coverup truly went. White has that rare ability to tell a complex story of financial fraud within arcane government systems in a way that distills it down to the key points. He captures the inherent drama in dismantling the coverup and the attempts to stop the investigators with threats and intimidation, lawsuits, and ongoing danger to those seeking justice. He tells the story in order that that the fraud was uncovered, with backstory to reveal how it was done, and with outcomes (or at least those to date of publication) for many of those involved in the fraud and uncovering it. He provides lengthly, detailed endnotes citing where his information came from, which adds to the veracity of his account. As many writers in similar circumstances, White includes a bit of his personal background as a Mississippi native and Ivy league grad. Refreshingly, tho, he tells just enough for you to understand his skill set and persepective without any indulgence in self-mythologizing. In fact, I would have liked a bit more of his personal story, but I was happy with what was given. As a nonprofit executive and fellow resident of a Southern state, I was aware of the story as it began to get regional headlines. I realized the colorful personalilties involved when the story got national headlines revealing NFL legend Bret Favre’s involvement and lawsuits attacking sports commentators who criticized him. But I didn’t truly understand the depth of the fraud, shocking disclosures of expenditures on lavish personal vacations, favors for friends, houses, cars, money laundering, and attacks by the entrenched powers of White and his dept, for disclosing the thefts. Tho the fraud was financial, the impact was highly personal, as hundreds of thousands of poor Mississippi families with children were left to poverty, violence, and early death. I hope White seeks higher office in his home state — and later adds to this story after all the “other shoes” have fallen.

“Americans know the car is broken. Their government is more powerful than ever, yet Americans have lost faith in government to mind taxpayer resources and make common sense decisions. Waste is rampant, even if the average taxpayer can’t see all the modalities of the waste.”

Mississippi Swindle was a searing look at the egregious corruptions in our poorest state, paid for by the most vulnerable citizens. White was incredibly thorough in laying out an extensive cast of characters and their level of involvement in morally defunct actions against the welfare fund. If this isn’t turned into a true crime podcast, I’d be surprised and a bit disappointed!

What I found most shocking about this tale was just how many people had to be complicit in order for the scam to work. It reinforces a common citizens belief that the government systems are broken.

I loved the attention to detail and thorough nature of this book. White made sure that information was accessible to those of us who do not have a background in finance.

I did find the repeated patterns of the offenders to be a bit redundant, but I understand for the sake of having the full picture it is necessary to include everything. I can also imagine White and his office saying “Again? Really?”

Thank you NetGalley for providing me with an ARC to read in exchange for my review.

Of course, I had heard of the Brett Favre case and him receiving welfare funds for doing nothing, so I was intrigued enough to read about it.

WOW! I had no idea that the fraud/embezzlement was so large. I could not stand the New's after reading the book. I hope that they get sentenced to long prison terms (I don't know yet what they were sentenced to).

I could feel the passion coming from the author as he tried to make sense of what was happening with the TANF funds. His frustration over the state and federal investigators was palable.

if you want an insiders look into the mispent welfare funds from Mississippi, this is the book for you. This is about as inside as you can get it, being that the author is the State Auditor of Mississippi.

Mississippi Swindle

Shad White can tell you about corruption in state government involving nonprofit organizations. He dedicated years of his life to uncovering a massive collection of incidents in which individuals were spending grant money on goods and services for themselves rather than the folks who were supposed to be helped. Money intended to help poverty-stricken people gain adequate housing by repairing dilapidated structures in the Delta was used for other purposes. Money intended to help children from low-income households gain a good education at a charter school was spent on a number of luxury items for a precious few. The list goes on and on.

Shad White and his team followed the money trail. The story makes for interesting reading. He is no John Grisham, but the writing is clear and concise, and does not bog down in unnecessary detail.

A white-collar true crime narrative with surprising dimensions. You won't believe how quarterback Brett Favre is involved. This book also shows how important auditors are to a free and functioning society.

I believe this is the only book to date about Farve and the welfare scandal. This one is written by an insider and it's detailed and well-organized. If you're interested in the topic, it's well worth picking up. There were times when it felt like it was a little stretched out.

I received a copy of this from Net Galley.

Thank you Netgalley and Steerforth Press for this arc.

I remember hearing about the famous people involved in this egregious money grab of federal funds intended for the people of Mississippi who are at the bottom of the rung, in the "bottom of the rung" state in the US. For whatever reason, they are in need and they got shafted to the tune of more than 100 million dollars.

Shad White and his staff are the ones who investigated a tip-off, debated how to proceed, dug deeper, worried about tipping off suspected culprits who might then destroy evidence, swooped in to secure evidence, debated who to take the case to (feds vs state and there are pros and cons for each), got indictments, dealt with a US Attorney who seemed to have his knickers in a twist over who would take the case to court, dealt with the rich and connected friends of the indicted who put the screws on the auditors, saw both the left and the right trash them on social media, dealt with a famous sports hero trying to cover his involvement, and then realized that entrenched bureaucracy could be almost as bad as the actual crooks at stalling any changes.

Luxury cars/trucks, expensive homes, rental property, rents on that property, a Cuban stripper, delux drug detox treatment, investments, paying off a traffic ticket, iPhones, iPads, and donations to politicians were only some of the ways this money was misspent. When all was said and done, some of it was clawed back but, alas, most had "evaporated."


White goes into detail about how all this was done. He names names. He helps the legal system kick ass. He is threatened. His wife is intimidated. His interracial marriage and biracial child are spoken of publicly in vile terms. White, however, was raised poor (but not dirt poor as some of his classmates were) and had a mission to see justice done for the people of his state. After finishing this book, I'm glad that Mississippi has him on their side, am fearful that this sort of shit goes on in every state, and feel like I need to take a shower after reading what some people will do and what others will condone. B

I first learned of the main events documented in Mississippi Swindle while watching the Rachel Maddow show several years ago when she mentioned a scandal involving welfare fraud, Brett Favre and a volleyball school. I never did learn much more and was happy to see this book available to read, written by the state auditor of Mississippi.

Shad White was the auditor when the events began to become visible, not to the public, but to those who were trained to look. White was young and motivated, the youngest state auditor in the country, when he was advised by the governor of a whistleblower report that TANF funds (temporary assistance for needy families, often called welfare) were being misused by the state DHS. What follows is a true crime report of the creation of a team, gathering of evidence, the counter attacks of suspects and response of the public as well as outcomes to date. True crime reports tend to be messier than fiction in my experience, with less neat outcomes. But White found some excellent people to work with in this lengthy battle.

I recommend this to those interested in true crime stories that don’t involve blood and gore. This deals in corruption and quests for money and power…a situation well known to the human race. In this case stealing from the poorest people in the poorest state in the country. High motivation for White to seek justice.

Thanks to Steerforth, Shad White and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

I am not a foot ball fan but I love books and documentaries about athletes because I find their lives so fascinating. This is no exception. This book covers the downfall of NFL legend Brett Favre, the tarnishing of his legend, and how he ended up there. It also shows the full depth of his crimes and how harmful they were. The author is gifted at telling a true story with the same verve you would see in a fiction book.

Strong recommend.