Jim Hood, Democratic Attorney General, knew that opening an investigation into Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves used political pressure to build a frontage road that was state-funded from his gated neighborhood of Rankin County. This could have been a political liability. Hood opened the investigation in July 2018. Hood and Reeves weren’t officially running for governor. Hood was still considering, but was leaning towards a run in 2019, while Reeves was widely considered a strong candidate for the Republican nomination. Hood stated that there was no conflict of interest at this time to investigate the possible political conflict in July 2018. “Hopefully, we will someday have an entity that will do an independent review. “If they don’t come up, it may be that it is that I have to do this.” Hood initiated the investigation shortly after Reeves and his associates called foul. They blasted Hood in press conferences and statements throughout the course of the investigation. Parker Briden, Reeves’ campaign communications chief, said that Hood’s investigation was “far beyond a conflict-of-interest — it is abuses of office.” Briden stated that the Democrat running to replace Hood as governor should not have been involved in the investigation. This report fuels the already heated gubernatorial race between Hood, the fourth-term Attorney General, and Reeves (the second-term lieutenant Governor). They have been battling in state government halls for years, bickering about budget cuts, lawsuits, and funding for state agencies. The two have been attacking each other on television and the stump since the start of the 2019 governor’s election. Hood was the subject of Reeves’s first TV ad in the 2019 cycle. Hood attacked Reeves in his first TV ad for the general election. Hood and Reeves scuffled one another at the Neshoba County Fair speech. Hood made another comment about the frontage road, saying that “We’re going build public roads, but not private driveways.” Reeves’ campaign responded for the first time on Wednesday. In a Wednesday evening statement, Briden stated that Jim Hood had admitted to no wrongdoing after a year of loud talk. This is just a 43 page political dirty trick from Jim Hood. Hood did not respond to the Reeves campaign’s allegations of political malfeasance. Hood stated that the report “speaks for itself.” It should be read by both the press and the public. They can then make their own judgements about the conduct and actions of Lt. Hood. Governor Reeves.” Both will debate at least twice between now & Nov. 5, with Reeves announcing Wednesday morning that he had accepted TV invitations to debate in Jackson on Sept. 25 and Hattiesburg on Oct. 10. Hood said it wanted to hold three debates.