On July 22nd, the Mississippi State Agency fired lawyer J. Brad Pigott after he issued a subpoena that could turn up details about the involvement of prominent Mississippians in misused welfare funds. According to a 2020 state audit, as much as $94 million in federal funds may have been misused in Mississippi. The audit found much of the money in the pockets of Mississippians, including Mr. Favre, a Mississippian sponsor.
Mr. Pigott’s termination is also connected to a $5 million construction of a volleyball facility at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg. A few days before his firing, Mr. Pigott — who drafted a lawsuit on the agency’s behalf seeking retribution of more than $20 million from 38 people, including Mr. Favre — filed a subpoena to the university’s athletic foundation which asked for documents connected to the funding of the volleyball building.
Robert G. Anderson, executive director of the Mississippi Department of Human Services, said on July 23rd that Mr. Pigott had been relieved of his duties because he filed the subpoena without consulting with the agency first. But email history showed Mr. Pigott sending a draft copy to the agency’s lawyer and the state attorney general’s office 10 days before he filed it.
In a phone interview on July 23rd, Pigott said that when his contract was terminated, he was informed that it wasn’t his work ethic or quality of legal work. Pigott was given no other reason from Anderson “I believe I was fired as a result of a pattern of orders from the Mississippi governor’s office concerning protecting an entity, called the University of Southern Mississippi Athletic Foundation, from any responsibility in this matter,” he said.
Shelby, a spokeswoman for Governor Reevers, put out a statement on July 23rd saying that there were “many capable lawyers who can handle the work necessary to recover stolen TANF funds,” referring to Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, the federal welfare program.
Many people in power usually are hiding dark secrets and hiding them from the republic. When these secrets are exposed, they tend to “eliminate” the source to protect themselves. Eventually, “what happens in the dark, comes into light.”
Link:https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/23/us/mississippi-lawyer-fired-welfare.html
Mr. Pigott’s termination is also connected to a $5 million construction of a volleyball facility at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg. A few days before his firing, Mr. Pigott — who drafted a lawsuit on the agency’s behalf seeking retribution of more than $20 million from 38 people, including Mr. Favre — filed a subpoena to the university’s athletic foundation which asked for documents connected to the funding of the volleyball building.
Robert G. Anderson, executive director of the Mississippi Department of Human Services, said on July 23rd that Mr. Pigott had been relieved of his duties because he filed the subpoena without consulting with the agency first. But email history showed Mr. Pigott sending a draft copy to the agency’s lawyer and the state attorney general’s office 10 days before he filed it.
In a phone interview on July 23rd, Pigott said that when his contract was terminated, he was informed that it wasn’t his work ethic or quality of legal work. Pigott was given no other reason from Anderson “I believe I was fired as a result of a pattern of orders from the Mississippi governor’s office concerning protecting an entity, called the University of Southern Mississippi Athletic Foundation, from any responsibility in this matter,” he said.
Shelby, a spokeswoman for Governor Reevers, put out a statement on July 23rd saying that there were “many capable lawyers who can handle the work necessary to recover stolen TANF funds,” referring to Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, the federal welfare program.
Many people in power usually are hiding dark secrets and hiding them from the republic. When these secrets are exposed, they tend to “eliminate” the source to protect themselves. Eventually, “what happens in the dark, comes into light.”
Link:https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/23/us/mississippi-lawyer-fired-welfare.html
