Mississippi Supreme Court sides with AG Lynn Fitch in welfare funds lawsuit dispute
The Mississippi Supreme Court has ruled that Attorney General Lynn Fitch, not State Auditor Shad White, has the sole authority to manage and prosecute lawsuits seeking to recover state funds.
The court reversed a lower court ruling that had sided with White in a dispute stemming from efforts to recover misspent welfare funds tied to the state’s TANF scandal.
The justices found that while the state auditor can investigate and make demands for repayment, only the attorney general has the authority to control litigation on behalf of the state.
The court also says Mississippi law creates a clear division of responsibilities: the auditor audits and the attorney general litigates.
The ruling settles a years-long legal battle over who has the authority to pursue recovery of public funds in court.
Auditor White responded to the ruling this afternoon, urging the attorney general to fight aggressively in court to recover all of the welfare money, now that the court has ruled in her favor.
