Governor Tate Reeves has announced a new Director for the Mississippi Department of Human Services. MPB's Kobee Vance reports the state agency has been under investigation after a former Director was indicted over improper use of federal funding.
Bob Anderson is the new Director of the Department of Human Services. The agency has been under investigation for weeks-- by the state auditor's office. Six people including the former DHS Director have been charged in a criminal scheme involving allegations of misspent welfare money Governor Reeves says Anderson will work to repair the damage done by the previous leadership.
"We all have a moral obligation to care for our state's most vulnerable citizens. We have a duty to lend a hand to those in need. Allegedly that call did not just go unanswered in the department. It was actively undermined for personal profit and power. That must be dealt with quickly, and justly."
Bob Anderson is a former assistant U.S. attorney and is the current director of the Medicaid fraud investigations division in the attorney general's office. He says he will conduct a performance audit to locate problems in the agency.
"I'm going to be doing a complete systems review of the agency, and the way we've been doing business, and the way that we have been awarding grants, and the numbers of grants that we've awarded that will be part of the entire process of looking at an entire systemic review of how DHS operates."
At least $4 million in federal welfare money was stolen from DHS in the scheme. Anderson will begin his new job as director March 16.