When people throw around the phrase welfare fraud, it usually refers to individuals bilking the system by falsely claiming to be in need. A lawsuit in Mississippi alleges that it also includes funding for a college volleyball facility and cash payouts to a Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback.
Phil Bryant, a Republican, served as Mississippi's governor from 2012–2020. During that time, the state's poverty rate hovered between 20–25 percent. Today, it has the highest rate of any state in the country, with more than 19 percent of residents living under the poverty line.
