Welfare scandal sharpens contrasts in long-poor Mississippi

By EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS
Associated Press

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Temporary Assistance for Needy Families is supposed to help some of the poorest people, and Mississippi has long been one of the poorest states in the U.S. But a welfare misspending scandal in Republican-led Mississippi has ensnared high-profile people, including retired NFL quarterback Brett Favre. Advocates for economically vulnerable residents say it’s shameful that money intended as a hand up was used, instead, on programs pushed by the wealthy and well-connected. A former director of the Mississippi Department of Human Services is among five people who have pleaded guilty to criminal charges tied to the misspending.