The former director of the Mississippi Department of Human Services, John Davis, has pleaded guilty to state and federal charges of conspiracy and defrauding the government.
Davis channeled federal funds from two programs, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) to two nonprofit organizations.
He then directed said organizations to award contracts to individuals and entities for services that were never rendered to the state. Furthermore, payments were disbursed at the beginning of the contract periods, regardless of whether or not services had been or would be provided.
Other figures entangled in the scandal were former pro wrestler and minister Ted DiBiase and former Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant, who appointed Davis to his position.