The scandal surrounding former Mississippi Governor. Phil Bryant encouraging the flow of millions of welfare funds to friends and family is this the first time such allegations have been made? No. Bryant demanded reimbursements from state auditors who he claimed had misused funds from the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program. After allegations that millions of welfare dollars had been spent on things like the purchase of a Jaguar gold and a trip to Greece for child care studies, Bryant demanded reimbursements. Donald Taylor was the executive director of the state Department of Human Services between 1999 and 2008. He also recalled other fraud allegations such as an employee using a DHS credit card while on honeymoon in Hawaii. Taylor’s view of it. He said, “My rule is do the right thing.” “If it makes you stop and think about it, it’s likely not the right thing.” Taylor responded to questions about Bryant’s text messages regarding the current welfare scandal. READ MORE: “The Backchannel,” Mississippi Today’s investigation into the misuse of millions of welfare dollars. According to a forensic audit conducted by Mississippi Today, the state Department of Human Services misappropriated $77 million during Bryant’s tenure as governor. John Davis was the agency’s head. Mississippi Today obtained text messages that show Bryant’s influence on Davis’ decisions. Davis and five other defendants pleaded not guilty in criminal cases. Bryant was not charged with any wrongdoing. Shad White, the State Auditor, credits Bryant as the whistleblower. Bryant, a 2005 state auditor, demanded $221,000 from Claiborne County officials accusing them misusing welfare funds. After being told to cease in 2001, Bryant demanded $1,000 per meeting payments from local human resource board members. The TANF program had paid for nine days of transportation to transport a woman from Rosedale, California, to her new job at Grand Casino, Robinsonville, five years prior to Bryant’s election as auditor. How much? $10,744. This was enough money to buy the woman a Kia Rio with a CD stereo system, rear-window fogster, fuel injection engine, dual airbags, and sunroof. The Clarion-Ledger asked one state senator about it and he said, “$10,000 in nine weeks?” I’m going out to the Legislature to get me two cars.” Mississippi spent almost $18 million in fiscal 2001 to help the poor get to work. However, documents revealed that the program was misused. What was the total mileage that was reimbursed? The total mileage reimbursed? 16,000,000 miles. That’s 649 trips around the globe. This is more than half the distance to Venus in galactic terms. Arkansas, however, spent $7.8 million less on the same program. Mississippi allowed nonprofits to charge $1.74 per mile for the program — more than five times the amount that the federal government paid to reimburse employees. Arkansas, however, allowed friends and family to transport them, and reimbursed them at 29 cents per mile. Arkansas and other states provided funds to purchase used cars, and helped poor people fix their cars. Robert Cook, then the director of the Division of Program Integrity of the state Department of Human Services, stated that he considered his job a “calling” in order to make sure the money could reach Mississippi’s most vulnerable. He said, “They are meant for the needy not the greedy.” “If it did happen like it’s being claimed, then I believe that everyone involved in the trail should be held responsible. He said that neither we, as Mississippians, nor as a society, should expect anything more. “We go off-course” when political posturing takes over common sense or officials bolster their bank accounts. This is what Mississippi cannot afford. Every dollar we waste, there is a Mississippian who is suffering because of it.” Sandra Shelson, who was working for the attorney general’s at the time, stated that TANF funds have suffered from a lack in oversight since the 1980s. Shelson also said that Mississippi officials failed to distribute TANF funds two decades ago. “Then as now, the families this was meant to provide help and safety net for didn’t receive the benefit,” Shelson said. “A false belief has been propagated that a “welfare Queen” is someone who carries a Louis Vuitton bag while driving a Mercedes and drives a Mercedes. The truth is that Mississippi’s poorest are the ones receiving the money. She said that parents need child care in order to work, but they might not be eligible for vouchers to child care centers. These false beliefs led to state lawmakers requiring all welfare recipients in Mississippi to undergo regular drug screening to ensure they receive benefits. “Meanwhile we’re using that same money to send an Ex-Wrestler to Malibu to rehab,” she said. According to an indictment, John Davis, the then-director of Mississippi Department of Human Services, and Nancy New, the executive director of Mississippi Community Education Center, John Davis used welfare monies for luxury drug treatment for former wrestler Brett DiBiase. Ted, his wrestling father, is known as “The Million Dollar Man.” He is an ordained minister and founded the Heart of David ministries. The ministries received more than $3M in TANF money to help “establish a network of partners, services, and resources throughout Mississippi communities for faith based and self-help activities.” A forensic auditor deemed the ministries a “high-risk” grantee due to the absence of supporting documentation. Davis has pleaded guilty to 20 charges including bribery that could land him in prison for almost 150 years if he is convicted. New and Zach, her son, pleaded guilty to 46 charges. If convicted of all charges, they could be behind bars for over 200 years. Steve Holland, a former state representative from Plantersville, stated that he warned Mississippi’s top officials about possible abuse. He said, “Nothing ever happened of it that we know of.” Holland quoted himself as saying to the then-Gov. Bryant said, “Phil, keep a close watch on this TANF cash.” Bryant replied that he was watching the TANF money and said, “I used be an auditor.”