Man being sued over Mississippi welfare spending files his own suit against the governor

By EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS
Associated Press

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — One of the people being sued by the Mississippi Department of Human Services over allegations of misspending welfare money has filed a separate lawsuit against Gov. Tate Reeves. Austin Garrett Smith’s lawsuit says Republican Reeves is trying to protect political allies including a former governor. Smith’s suit was filed Wednesday. It says Reeves should sue former Gov. Phil Bryant. Republican Bryant was in office when prosecutors say money that was supposed to help some of the poorest people in the U.S. was instead spent on projects pushed by wealthy and well connected people. Reeves spokesperson Shelby Wilcher says the governor is “fighting to claw back every single dollar that was misspent.”