Democrat pledges ethics package in his challenge of Mississippi GOP governor

By EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS
Associated Press

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A Democrat running for Mississippi governor says he will push legislators to enact an ethics package that includes limits on campaign donations, frequent disclosure about lobbyists’ spending and a ban on former state officials quickly becoming lobbyists. Brandon Presley is trying to unseat Republican Gov. Tate Reeves. Presley says a welfare misspending case shows corruption is a problem in Mississippi government. He points to $1.3 million spent on fitness classes for Reeves and other people, including legislators. A spokesperson for the Reeves campaign, Elliott Husbands, says Presley is “pocketing big money from liberal donors and hiding the ball on his leftwing positions.”