Ashton Pittman@ashtonpittman
Sep 22, 2022
19 tweets
NEW: A federal judge revealed multiple conspiracy and fraud indictments against John Davis, the ex-Mississippi welfare agency director who allegedly diverted $77 million meant for needy families to pet projects and rich celebrities like Brett Favre.
mississippifreepress.org/27551/ex-missi
Recently unveiled texts between Brett Favre and Nancy New suggest that John Davis helped divert $5 million in Temporary Assistance For Needy Families Funds—meant for families with children that earn under $600/month—to build a volleyball stadium.
mississippifreepress.org/27465/in-depth
The volleyball stadium is just a part of what officials have called a “sprawling conspiracy” under John Davis' tenure that saw tens of millions go to other pet projects and wealthy celebrities, including retired pro-wrestler Ted DiBiase, Sr., and his sons.
mississippifreepress.org/27551/ex-missi
Under John Davis, TANF approval rates for $170 a month in cash assistance to poor families were the lowest in the nation, bottoming out at 1.42% in 2017—the year Davis allegedly diverted $5 million in TANF to build a volleyball stadium Brett Favre wanted.mississippifreepress.org/27551/ex-missi
Among the allegations in the federal indictment: “On or about June 26, 2018, at DAVIS’s direction, Organization 2 entered into a contract with Company 1 for approximately $1,000,000 purportedly in exchange for creating a program to serve inner-city youth."
mississippifreepress.org/27551/ex-missi
In addition to misusing TANF funds, the Sept. 15 federal indictment alleges Davis diverted money from The Emergency Food Assistance Program, a U.S. Department of Agriculture program that helps provide low-income individuals with emergency food assistance.
mississippifreepress.org/27551/ex-missi
In-depth explainer: How Brett Favre got $6 million in welfare for a volleyball stadium
mississippifreepress.org/27465/in-depth
You can read more about the TANF scandal—the largest welfare fraud scandal in Mississippi history—at the @Mississippi Free Press TANF scandal archive here: mississippifreepress.org/tag/tanf
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Ashton Pittman@ashtonpittman
Sep 17 22
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THREAD: In July 2017, Brett Favre met with Mississippi DHS Director John Davis and non-profit operator Nancy New.
They would help him get millions in welfare funds to pay for a volleyball stadium at USM—where his daughter was about to play volleyball. 1/mississippifreepress.org/27465/in-depth
The indictment names four "co-conspirators."
It says “Co-Conspirator 1" was "director of Organization 1"—"a non-profit registered in Mississippi on or about June 22, 1992.”
That's the same date Nancy New's non-profit, MCEC, was first registered.
mississippifreepress.org/27551/ex-missi
Meanwhile, Taylor Vance of @Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal appears to have uncovered the identities of "Organization 2" and "Co-Conspirator 2": twitter.com/TaylorVanceDJ/
Taylor Vance@TaylorVanceDJ
Sep 22 22
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Update on this: Casey Lott, an attorney for the Tupelo-based Family Resource Center, told me that it appears federal prosecutors are describing Christi Webb, the director of the FRC, as a co-conspirator.
Lott said it was "absurd" for DOJ to believe she conspired w/ John Davis.
BIG UPDATE: Ex-Mississippi welfare leader John Davis is pleading guilty to multiple state and federal charges in the case that saw millions in welfare funds diverted to wealthy celebrities like Brett Favre.
He agreed to cooperate with other prosecutions.
mississippifreepress.org/27551/ex-missi
"John Davis, has agreed to fully cooperate...with the State and all federal authorities in the prosecution of any and all additional criminally charged defendants...for the criminal misuse of Federal TANF grant funds," the plea deal says.
mississippifreepress.org/27551/ex-missi
The filing says John Davis “will enter a guilty plea to 5 counts of Conspiracy and 13 counts of Fraud Against the Government." He is pleading guilty to 2 federal charges involving allegations he diverted money to retired pro-wrestler Teddy DiBiase, Jr.
mississippifreepress.org/27551/ex-missi
Mississippi State Auditor @Shad White praises Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens' team for doing "an incredible job putting a stop to the flow of money to the fraudsters who took from the poorest in the state."
mississippifreepress.org/27551/ex-missi
Mississippi State Auditor Shad White says his team "has given every piece of evidence we have to federal investigators and will continue to work jointly with them to see this matter to its conclusion.”
mississippifreepress.org/27551/ex-missi
Mississippi Department of Human Services statement on ex-director John Davis's guilty plea in the welfare fraud case:
"These individuals enriched themselves at the expense of Mississippi's neediest residents."
Say they continue cooperating with state & federal investigators.
Ashton Pittman
@ashtonpittman
Writer/Journalist •Reporter @MSFreePress •Husband+dog dad •@SouthernMiss grad •Views=Mine •Follows/RTs ≠ endorsements •Tips: ashton@mississippifreepress.org
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