JACKSON, Miss. — State Auditor Shad White said his office recovered $1,096,510.88 in taxpayer funds and returned the money to the appropriate entities in Fiscal Year 2026, according to the annual Audit Exceptions Report released Thursday.
“Mississippians work hard for their money and they deserve to know every taxpayer dollar is being protected,” White said. “The hardworking men and women at the Auditor’s Office will continue to serve as the state’s watchdog and uncover waste, fraud, and abuse wherever we find it.”
The report also highlights large sums that remain outstanding in demands issued by the Office of the State Auditor. White noted that the Mississippi Supreme Court has said only the attorney general’s office can enforce those demands in court, not the auditor.
In connection with the Mississippi Department of Human Services welfare scandal, the auditor’s office has issued demands totaling $96,312,774.27 and referred them to the attorney general for enforcement. The Office of the Attorney General recovered $18,000 of that amount this past year.
Separately, the auditor has issued demands in 103 cases outside the DHS matter with an outstanding balance of $15,792,926.25. The Office of the Attorney General has taken no action in 95 of those 103 cases, the report says.
State law requires the auditor to publish an Exceptions Report in August. The 2026 report is organized by county and is available on the auditor’s website under the “Reports” tab.
