Mississippi Swindle: Brett Favre and the Welfare Scandal that Shocked America

by Shad White

How America’s youngest state auditor uncovered the largest public corruption scandal in the history of the nation’s poorest state

“A must read” with all the thrills of a John Grisham novel — for fans of shocking true crime exposés like Black Edge and Bad Blood (Peter Schweizer, author of Secret Empires)

This riveting exposé details how a small team of auditors and investigators, led by the youngest State Auditor in the country, uncovered a brazen scheme where the powerful stole millions in welfare funds from the poor in a sprawling conspiracy that stretched from Mississippi to Malibu.

Well-connected donors, highly placed officials, and popular public figures diverted tens of millions of dollars from the federal government's TANF — temporary assistance for needy families — program until a Republican auditor, his small team of dedicated investigators, and a Democratic prosecutor joined forces to hold them accountable in the face of intense obstruction and harassment.

Peopled with unforgettable characters — from the perpetrators; to the impoverished citizens for whom the money was intended; to the investigators, prosecutors, and reporters who held them to account — Mississippi Swindle is a political and true crime drama that highlights larger crises while appealing to a broad nationwide audience.

Genres: Nonfiction, True Crime, Politics, Audiobook, Sports, Crime, True Story

278 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 6, 2024

About the author

Shad White is the State Auditor of Mississippi. During his tenure, the auditor’s office has uncovered more waste, fraud, and abuse than any other time in state history. Shad is also a prolific writer on fraud, and his work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, The Hill, and other publications. He is a certified fraud examiner and holds degrees from Harvard Law, the University of Oxford where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar, and the University of Mississippi. He lives with his wife and three children in Flowood, Mississippi.

Follow him @shadwhite on X.

Reviews

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[LaShanda Chamberlain · Rating 5 out of 5]

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 took 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.

[Victoria Coe-Adegbite · Rating 4 out of 5]

“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.

[Gina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shad White was 32 years old when he was appointed to back-fill the State Auditor of Mississippi position after the elected auditor left before the end of his term. Not long after he was appointed, he was contacted by the governor who had received a tip from a potential whistleblower about the misappropriation of funds in the Department of Human Services. This led to the biggest TANF/welfare fraud case in US history (at least that we know about or has been prosecuted). The case received increased attention because it included football legend Brett Favre.

This is Shad White's version of those events, and I'm going to mostly believe this version as it's backed up by significant research. I feel I have a much better understanding of the case(s) after reading this. But...some of his bias shows in relation to politics, not in a terribly cringey way, but it's there. He also seems to have a hero complex with a lot of "it's not me it's them." What was the most cringey to me related to the differences in how he describes men and women, i.e. women are often described by their age and weight ("a little overweight but normal for her age") where men are more likely described by their occupations. It's not overt, but it made me pause a few times. So, it's not that well written, including threads that get dropped, the need for dates, and a lot of random stuff thrown in at the end, but if you ignore all that and just read it for the fraud case, it's fine.

[Heather Walter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Admittedly, I read a LOT about fraud, so I'm likely pickier than most because I read for my continuing education. I was interested in this story, but I had a hard time with the author. Every thing that went wrong was someone else's fault (particularly if they were a Democrat). I would have liked more substance about the auditor's experience as he learned about this rather than why we should blame people for the delays in prosecution. I prefer to read the details on how they found their information and then how one thread begins to pull another until it is all unraveled. That was lacking in this book. I know he wasn't involved in a lot of the deep research because he mentioned being surprised by some of the findings. He did a good job pointing out many of the people who were harmed, which I appreciated.

[Sarah Brandes · Rating 1 out of 5]

I usually don't rate things bc who am I to do so but wow this guy is full of shit am I allowed to swear on here

contradiction after contradiction, generalization after generalization, and incorrect understanding of federal law

[Julie Swearingen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm sure most people remember hearing Brett Favre's name mentioned in connection to a welfare scandal a few years ago, but hold onto your seat because this goes way deeper. Shad White not only highlights every horrific detail of a $100 million dollar fraud but highlights how this has happened elsewhere and how the feds don't do a damn thing about it. Perhaps a little dry in places because, well, this bureaucracy and politics and pandering for the media, but overall well-written and easy to understand.

I received an advanced copy from the publisher.

[Reed · Rating 2 out of 5]

"It boggled my mind how people could trust so easily. Being cordial to others at a dinner party did not mean one was honest."

Mississippi Swindle is a book about how our systems are set up to protect and enrich powerful people, often at the expense of our most needy. This story follows Shad White, the Mississippi state auditor, as he investigates rampant fraud and misappropriation of TANF and other public funds. The investigation swoops up high ranking politicians, public figures and famous athletes like Brett Favre.

The crux of the crime is that the head of the DHS, Davis, granted his buddy Nancy Few's and her kid Zach's non-profit MCEC large amount of TANF funds. They used those funds illegally, often to profit themselves. Some of those funds were sent to Southern Miss via Brett Favre to pay for a 5 million dollar volleyball court.

This book is not really about Brett Favre in anyway and the subtitle is pretty misleading. It spends way more (and way too much time) litigating Shad White's petty arguments with other investigatory and legislative bodies. Rather than spending pages discussing the roots of poverty in his state, or talking about how good uses of public funds help lift up communities, he talks about how he was right a whole bunch.

He makes a point about how inertia and cynicism rots public service. People get used to the respect and perks of influence and dont look under the hood or rock the boat. Mississippi is in bad shape and yet the people elected to protect it perpetuate the cycle of looting. There is good stuff here but it is blurred by how boring and petty so much of this is.

Would not recommend.

[Kiran · Rating 4 out of 5]

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.

[Ubah Khasimuddin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Been sometime since I read this book but I remember it being interesting though wish had been written by a professional author. This author is a lawyer by trade and a politician, which is evident in how tactful he is with every player in this fiasco.
The portion about Brett Favre is a tiny part, but the story itself is fascinating if tragic. I did find it unusual that this author, an avowed Republican went after this fraud and abuse. The criminals in this story are good old boys, of the white persuasion. In the current political climate, Republicans fighting fraud and waste from within their own ranks seems an anomaly.
Not a well written book but a story that people should read about. I recommend for political minded people, might even be good for a book club.

[Lghamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brett Fav-ruh is a crook. Shad White is the straightest most honorable man alive (paraphrasing from Shad). Still, a pretty good telling of massive fraud in Mississippi and the good-old boy and girl network that still exists.

[Gareth Rogers · Rating 4 out of 5]

I initially picked up this book with the narrow focus of understanding more about Brett Favre’s role in this scandal. I had followed the story in the media but had not really put all the pieces together. My interest comes from the fact that I am a rabid Green Bay Packers fan who as a younger man idolized Favre. I have an autographed jersey of his on a wall and wanted to know whether I should keep it there. His endorsement of Donald Trump was almost enough to make me take it down. Would the facts I would learn in this book push me over the edge?

But before I get to that, it’s clear that the use of Favre’s name in the title was a hook to get people like me to read it. And I don’t mind that it did. While he is a relatively minor, if famous, person in this saga, I was glad to inform myself of the massive corruption undertaken by senior members of the Mississippi DHS. It was genuinely shocking how rampant it was and how seemingly easy it was to do. I am certain that my politics don’t align with the author (he includes Vivek Ramaswamy in the acknowledgments), but I tremendously admire his perseverance in uncovering how these federal funds were stolen. The nation needs more people like him in roles like this. A tip of the hat to him and his team for a job well done. I hope that the story is not over as there are many others who it’s clear have yet to experience any consequence from their thievery.

As for Favre, the jersey is down from my wall and soon to be on sale. It’s clear that he knew these were federal funds and did all he could to make sure he got as much as he needed. The trail of texts prove that. He came across as a greedy, unprincipled man, even asking others to help him with repaying the $1.1M he received but did not earn. The final straw was the clear harassment of the author’s wife by Favre’s lawyer. While I doubt Favre requested he specifically do that, to associate with a lowlife who would behave that way speaks volumes.

In summary, it was a well-written if somewhat sad story. As someone who generally believes in the good of government to assist the less fortunate, it’s depressing to see what can happen when criminals hold the purse strings and deal with leeches with no conscience.

[Syd Sawyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid 8/10. White is someone I know of in an academic context (yay accounting!) but it was interesting to hear of the ins and outs of the work of the state auditor.

[Astrid Giblin · Rating 2 out of 5]

this was insane and not even because of the fraud lol. the writing (and apparent lack of editing) seemed distracted and was distractingly and discreditingly biased. not to mention how he writes about women (you’ll know what each one was wearing dw). and the whole “i make everyone mad but i never do anything wrong” shpiel just….doesnt sound completely accurate? anyway

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've put this book down and picked it back up several times since downloading it. It had the potential to be a really great true crime book, you have crooked politicians, celebrities, and millions of dollars stolen from one of the poorest states in the country, how could it not be a great book. But then you have the author, a man who's clearly highly political and seeking a higher office. He straddles the line between soapbox political and public servant fighting corruption uncovered by his office.

White should've kept it simple with the 5 Ws and 1 H, who, what, when, where, why, and how. Eliminate all of the political rhetoric, let us know who stole the money, how they were able to steal millions of dollars, why wasn't anything done to stop them, and how will they be held accountable.

Much of the rhetoric he spews in the book should been saved for his social media accounts. It's clear he wanted attention for the book by including Brett Favre's name in the title, even though he was just as guilty as the other people who knowingly defraud the state and misused TANF money, he was the big name to bring attention to the story.

While I no longer use star ratings for books, I think this is still worth a read. It makes you look at state governmental controls over federal programs differently. You'll gain an appreciation for the lesser known people behind the scenes to uncover the corruption. But it will frustrate you knowing that this can just as easily happen again.

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for the review copy. This title is out now.

[Misty · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was interested in learning more about the investigation into the DHS fraud in Mississippi, but the book only seemed to give high level info that I could have read about in newspapers. The writing style was very basic. I expected more from a Rhodes scholar and Harvard educated lawyer. White's position is political and I appreciate how he didn't let good ole boy politics derail the investigation, but the book felt like it was one very long campaign speech.

I would love to read a book by one of the boots on the ground investigators.

[John Schorg · Rating 3 out of 5]

An earnest accounting of a scandal that ensued when a group of powerful people decided to loot a program designed to help poor people in Mississippi. Their conduct is inexcusable, and the author shows the shameful behavior in clear detail. At times, the book reads like a treatise written by a fellow running for higher office, and that detracts from the story told here. And, at the end, poor people in Mississippi still aren't getting the help they deserve.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked the content but I felt like I was being squirreled by the author constantly having to put yet another story into the plot. Would have loved to have his background and character laid out first with the stories first and then just stuck to the fraud story.

[Paul Carroll · Rating 3 out of 5]

I may have been tricked into reading a book intended to launch its author into a higher political orbit. Mississippi Swindle unfortunately has the stench of those memoirs that come out every four years around the Presidential election. It hits many of the familiar tropes:

1. White emphasizes his combination of military service, public service, and fancy educational degrees.
2. He also wants us to know that even though he went to Oxford/Harvard/whatever, he comes from working class stock and is patriotic. Not a coastal elite!
3. The anecdotes about White and his family are shallow and generically positive.
4. There are moments, especially in the epilogue, when he goes into "generic Republican politician" mode, reciting talking points about how social media is rigged, etc.

White definitely doesn't want to be an anti-hero--just a straightforward, classic American hero. I choose the word "hero" because White's self-regard is tremendous. He's proud of his decisions and, if he has any regrets, they aren't in this book.

All this probably makes it sound like I hated Mississippi Swindle, which isn't true. I found White a bit irritating, but the book impressed me in other ways. For someone who is obviously ambitious, White is surprisingly honest when assessing everyone around him. He has some brutal things to say about some folks who are still active in Mississippi politics. That seems like a serious risk, and I'm impressed that he was willing to take it. I appreciate it when politicians are honest about each other.

White also seems like a serious and dedicated public servant who is good at his job. If an auditor isn’t ruffling any feathers, he’s probably not a good auditor.

The cover of this book says that it is a thrilling true crime story, which is not true. I would never use the word "thrilling"--it's a white-collar crime with no subtlety or cleverness at all. Here's the whole story: some people found a way that they could spend money for the poor on themselves. The criminals don't seem particularly clever; in fact, they seem pretty dumb. Everyone involved in this scandal should have been caught years earlier, but they were extremely well-connected.

Even though the book is not thrilling, I think the mundanity of the crime is the point. I believe White when he says that this sort of graft is common in America, if not typically at this scale. It seems very hard to prevent waste in the spending of government money.

Because my feelings about this book are complicated, I think three stars is about right.

[Elliott · Rating 1 out of 5]

TANF is one of the great swindles of the neoliberal era. Centrist Democrats and Republicans worked together to gut a tried and true New Deal reform based on shoddy evidence and empty platitudes. Rather than simply having the government give a single parent household a check the Federal Government would now allocate block grants to states who would in turn dole it out in five year intervals to “non-welfare” programs (which could mean a nonprofit organization). Then of course any recipient would be policed while using it.
Needless to say adding a whole new level of bureaucracy, and then allowing the option for wealthy people to dole out a pittance via nonprofits really opens the door for large scale fraud. Even in Ronald Reagan’s dementia-addled imagination a singular “welfare queen” only got a Cadillac and $150,000 a year and she had to create “80” aliases or whatever. Meanwhile, Brett Favre got $1.1 million for speeches he never made, Marcus Dupree got his ranch home mortgage paid, and Brett DiBiase got a luxury rehab stay.
Shad White was right to prosecute these people- however his epilogue is absurd. One of the other great swindles of the neoliberal era is “there is no alternative” depicting conservatives as ‘realists’ when they’re more utopian than the worst caricatures of leftists. White devolves into the standard “Well, I swore on the Constitution… blah blah blah…” and “We need more transparency!” reaction that never fails to set my eyes a-rolling. After all, many of the people who committed this fraud, and knew about it, had sworn the same oath, and were pretty transparent about their thievery. Brett Favre is not some Moriarty. His text messages betrayed him. His theft built a literal stadium. That’s not a mark of subtlety.
To find a better system look how it was originally designed.
Once upon a time the Federal Government cut a check to needy families every month. Simple.
Was there some abuse of the system? Yes. But, again, even in the most ridiculous stories of Welfare Queens, and even the actual person that those stories were inspired by stole $187,000 (in current dollars) over a period of many years. That’s small potatoes to the fraud White uncovered. Yet, White, Rhodes Scholar and all, is flummoxed into actually fixing this problem when if he’d just put down his Robert Nozick the answer is plain to see.

[Kirsti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brett Favre stole.
Brett Favre stole money.
Brett Favre stole taxpayers' money.
Brett Favre stole taxpayers' money that was supposed to go to poor people.
Brett Favre stole taxpayers' money that was supposed to go to poor people in Mississippi, which is generally considered the poorest state in the Union and contains the per capita murder capital of the United States.
Brett Favre did all this stuff and texted messages that made it clear he knew he was doing illegal things and didn't want the public to find out about them.
Brett Favre stole millions for himself and so his daughter could have a nice volleyball court at her university.
After the scandal came to light, Brett Favre sued the state auditor for defamation. The state auditor wrote a book about the whole thing. And it's very interesting!
I wish Shad White (it's short for Shadrack) had written a tick-tock on this crime instead of adding lots of information about himself, his family, and those who wronged him. But if I had a book contract, I would probably write those things too.
The scariest and most sordid thing about this whole scary, sordid story is that White believes that TANF money (for poor people) is being squandered in many other states—maybe in every state. And he may be right. The only reason I ever heard about this scandal is that a big-deal professional athlete was involved and he acted appallingly. I can see other TANF scandals, with no celebrity involvement and less outrageous purchasing, flying under the radar.
Kudos to White for noticing and generously crediting the hard work of his staff, from investigators to the office receptionist.

[Hijabi_booklover · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shad White is who looked into a tip-off, discussed how to move forward, dug deeper, worried that revealing the identity of suspected offenders could lead to the destruction of evidence, swooped in to gather evidence, discussed whether to take the case to the federal government or the state, got indictments, dealt with the indicted's wealthy and powerful friends who put pressure on the auditors, witnessed both the left and the right disparage them on social media, dealt with a well-known sports hero who attempted to conceal his involvement, and finally realized that deeply ingrained bureaucracy could be almost completely removed.
as adept as the real thieves at preventing any reforms. A few examples of how this money was misused were for luxury vehicles and trucks, pricey residences, rental properties and the rent associated with them, a Cuban dancer, opulent drug detoxification, investments, paying off traffic fines, iPhones and iPads, and political contributions. Ultimately, some of it could be reclaimed, but sadly, the majority had "evaporated." White describes how all of this was accomplished in detail. He gives names. He kicks assholes in the legal system. Something is threatening him. His spouse is scared. His biracial child and interracial marriage are discussed in public using derogatory language. Nonetheless, White had a goal and was nurtured in poverty—though not as impoverished as some of his classmates. Shad brings to light conspiracies and a massive fraud/ embezzlement case that could have been left unfounded forever more.

[Vette M, · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book started off good, but became a chore to get through. I wanted to learn more about the Welfare scandal and how it impacted actual Mississippians. This book could have been about 7 chapters shorter and it would have been better in explaining the actual scandal. The author uses this book to address his personal grievances and petty squabbles with other agencies that add nothing to the actual understanding of how this fraud was allowed to happen. I don't agree with the random reporter who called his wife a slave, which I found disgusting. However, someone really should explain to Mr. White that just because you're married to or in a relationship with a POC/black person doesn't mean you can't be racist. Look at Strom Thrumond if you're confused. The title is also misleading since Brett Favre is only mentioned only a handful of times and its more when the author feels he has to address Favre's misconstruing of facts and personal attacks against him. This could have been a good story, if the author had reigned in some of his soapbox ramblings (really don't care about how honest his grandpa raised him and his cousin to be or his Harvard guy hates America baseball story) and focused more on the facts of the sandal and how his office handled the investigation. It would have been more impactful to see what programs suffered or went unfunded due to the fraud. And included statements from actual Mississippians that went without because of the News, John Davis, Favre, the Dibiases, and others involved.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mississippi Swindle gives the reader a high-level look into the Mississippi welfare scandal. It also shows how various state and federal government agencies and departments operate and their relationships. This book specifically examines Mississippi and the state auditor’s office, DHS, FBI, AG, state prosecutors, and non-profit organizations. White does a great job of explaining the events of the Mississippi welfare case in a way that is easy for any layperson to read and understand. He also includes some personal and non-person anecdotes that relate to his main idea and give more insight into his mind and way of thinking.

The biggest takeaway I got from this book is that any level of government is complex, there are cliques and drama, and trying to get good things done seems like it should be easier than it is. It also opened my eyes to the fact that there’s probably a ton of corruption at local, state, and federal levels. I’m glad that some people in important positions are fighting corruption and trying to do the right thing.

The reason I took a star off was throughout the book just when I was getting into the juicy details of something the author would throw in an anecdote, it always related in some way to what I had just read but it kind of threw me a bit every time it happened as it didn't feel like the transition was very smooth. It is a minor nitpick and probably not worth a while star deduction but I'm not able to give half stars.

Just FYI, I received this as an ARC and this is my honest review of the book.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've started to realize that this kind of true crime like this is my jam. Reading about real-life rape and murder is too disturbing, and feels like rubbernecking on people's most horrific days. But white-collar crime, with cons and fraudsters who get some amount of comeuppance in the end? Feels just right.

In fact, as someone who works in state government and deals with federal grants, I was fascinated by White's detailed knowledge of the machinery of governmental oversight, and how these types of crimes get prosecuted. (Or not.) As someone in the generation who can't afford home-buying, it makes me see red to read about shameless fraudsters who buy lavish houses and boats with money intended to help poor people. Freeloaders always break even the best-designed welfare systems, and TANF is not a well-designed system. It seems designed to allow everyone with connections to dip into it for their pet projects, while the people who were intended to get that money can't get in the door.

White points out how the failures of the slow-moving FBI and the politically polarized news media have shielded fraudsters, and it's frustrating to see how slowly justice moves. Still, I have a lot of respect for public servants who do their jobs even when it's more politically expedient to look the other way. Not a book that will appeal to everyone, but I learned a lot.

Boo, Bret Favre.

[Alaina · Rating 3 out of 5]

white tells the tale of how he, his office, and its state and federal partners took down the rich mississippians who embezzled TANF (temporary assistance for needy families) funds for their own gain in the late 2010s.

the strategems government grifters employ in order to Get Away With It seem so shoddy: fudging records on version-control software; falsifying fact-checkable documents; and vying favorites against fake vendors. white doesn't dwell in the nitty-gritty of the audit itself, but instead focuses on the interplay (sometimes disharmonious) of the federal and states agencies that slowly but surely drubbed the defendants into a guilty plea. i appreciate his willingness to lift the veil on beloved but entitled brett favre and churchgoer cum criminal nancy new.

though i admire his handling of this scandal, i have a hard time taking him at face value: yes, his color commentary offers an insider perspective not found on the wikipedia page, but he also peppers the page with tidy familial and collegiate anecdotes that shaped his character, or, perhaps, his political brand. these may be one and the same, but that i cannot know.

[Roxana Chirilă · Rating 2 out of 5]

Shad White might be a great State Auditor, but he's not a great writer.

"Mississippi Swindle" is the true story of a scandal regarding welfare fraud, with about $94 million being misspent. Shad White is the one who started the investigation, and what followed was a slow uncovering of some of the shadiest dealings in Mississippi history. A poor state, a woman who looks friendly and seems to want to help everyone and especially poor children, the involvement of a sports star.

It would be an exciting read, but Shad White's style is very dry, with the sole concession to setting scenes and describing characters being the odd paragraphs here and there that seem somewhat out of place, now there and a minute later forgotten.

It sounds like an exciting story, but it's not so well told, and White sometimes seems more interested in justifying himself in the face of accusations from the media and others than he is in telling the story itself. It's very understandable. But it also, alas, means that this book will be exciting mostly to people who are already interested in the topic and are willing to put in extra work to hear about it, than to a general audience.

I would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mississippi State Auditor Shad White has written about his investigation into the largest public corruption scandal in Mississippi’s history. It recounts the abuse of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program by a number of people including Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS) Executive Director John Davis, and non-profit operator Nancy New—even football legend Brett Favre received fraudulently-obtained monies.

White’s account is engaging and fairly easy to follow despite the inclusion of the obligatory governmental rules regarding TANF funds and the circuitous fraud schemes used to obtain monies—particularly Davis and New. Not surprisingly, the Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch and Mississippi Republican Party Chairman Mike Hurst are not happy with their portrayals in White’s book. White claims Fitch refused to prosecute and that Mike—who worked for the U.S. Attorney’s office at the time—would have taken much too long to charge individuals.

Of note, White points out that non-profit charities do not have the oversight needed to ensure that funds are used properly; and that ‘block grants’ to states for welfare can invite administrators to funnel funds into fraudulent schemes with insufficient oversight.

[Nick Byers · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I did enjoy learning about the details of this particular financial crime I do have some qualms.

I feel like this should have been written by an investigative journalist rather than Shad, for a few reasons. Other than being the head of the department doing the investigating he wasn't really involved with the actual work of the case. Every chapter or so he talks about getting a phone call and being told things, that's it. Whereas I feel a journalist would have interviewed people and laid out how events happened, which White apparently just decided he didn't need to do and would only write about the events he was involved in. This lack of details is detrimental to the book because you can tell that White didn't really have enough information to fill the pages required. He often goes off on tangents that are at best tenuously connected or not related to the case at all.

White says in the epilogue that he felt it was important he wrote this book for the people. But overall it feels like information you could get from an AP article or Wikipedia page. And leaves me wondering if he didn't write this, without doing the legwork that an investigative journalist would, in order to be the first and cash in on the buzzworthy nature of the story.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF but might try again. Though I think I'd rather see this as a multi-part documentary or loose adaptation on Hulu or HBO. Maybe with Jesse Plemons playing the lead? Is he too big for this kind of role now? Colin Hanks?

The author explains a lot of the behind-the-scenes issues in going after white collar crime (such as deciding to go with state prosecutors and then having to deal with the bruised ego of the chief federal prosecutor in town). There are backstories and digressions about other cases, offered to explain why this one was handled in a particular way. All sort of interesting to me, b/c I have no background in criminal law, but maybe boring to my friends who do that kind of work?

He's careful, measured, polite, and yet passionate about protecting Mississippi's public funds for its most needy. He strikes me as a centrist Republican, someone who could have a beer with just about anyone. That all makes for both positive and negative aspects to the voice/tone of the book. A little beige? But maybe there's something reassuring and calm about beige?

I was looking forward to the Brett Favre angle and didn't quite get there.