A whole lot of fraud going on in MS.
"A lawsuit filed in May by the Mississippi Department of Human Services alleges Dupree was illegally paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal welfare money that was intended for the state's neediest families. On Wednesday, Dupree denied wrongdoing in an interview with ESPN."
"According to the civil lawsuit, from August 2017 to September 2019 Dupree was paid $371,000 from Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds.
A Mississippi Department of Human Services initiative called Families First for Mississippi, run by two nonprofits, illegally funneled the federal welfare money to Dupree, the lawsuit states, in exchange for his work as a "celebrity endorser" and "motivational speaker.""
"According to a 2019 state audit, Dupree was paid, in part, for "equine assisted learning," which Mississippi's state auditor, Shad White, told ESPN meant "teaching people how to ride horses."
White said his office found "limited evidence" Dupree or anyone else ever delivered those sorts of services to the needy.
But Dupree insists he did mentor teens at his 15-acre horse farm in Flora, Mississippi.
"I mentored the kids through the horses by having responsibility, cleaning the stalls, and, if you got good with that, I'd let you ride a horse. Most of the parents just wanted them to be around me."
"On April 13, 2018, Dupree's foundation purchased the horse farm and residence in Flora where Dupree currently lives for $855,000. The five-bedroom, 4,100-square foot home is valued at just over $1 million, according to the real estate website Zillow.
According to an audit conducted by White's office, $171,000 in TANF money was used as the down payment toward Dupree's home and surrounding property.
White told ESPN such purchases "would be unallowable because of the prohibition against purchasing real property with TANF funds." He also noted the "unreasonableness" of using federal welfare money, intended for job training and assistance for needy families, to help purchase a five-bedroom home and a horse farm for a state-contracted employee."
I hope the state goes after all of them and is able to nail everyone that took advantage of this program that was designed to help these people who really needed it. Instead of helping, these guys are building volleyball courts and buying horse farms.
www.espn.com
"A lawsuit filed in May by the Mississippi Department of Human Services alleges Dupree was illegally paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal welfare money that was intended for the state's neediest families. On Wednesday, Dupree denied wrongdoing in an interview with ESPN."
"According to the civil lawsuit, from August 2017 to September 2019 Dupree was paid $371,000 from Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds.
A Mississippi Department of Human Services initiative called Families First for Mississippi, run by two nonprofits, illegally funneled the federal welfare money to Dupree, the lawsuit states, in exchange for his work as a "celebrity endorser" and "motivational speaker.""
"According to a 2019 state audit, Dupree was paid, in part, for "equine assisted learning," which Mississippi's state auditor, Shad White, told ESPN meant "teaching people how to ride horses."
White said his office found "limited evidence" Dupree or anyone else ever delivered those sorts of services to the needy.
But Dupree insists he did mentor teens at his 15-acre horse farm in Flora, Mississippi.
"I mentored the kids through the horses by having responsibility, cleaning the stalls, and, if you got good with that, I'd let you ride a horse. Most of the parents just wanted them to be around me."
"On April 13, 2018, Dupree's foundation purchased the horse farm and residence in Flora where Dupree currently lives for $855,000. The five-bedroom, 4,100-square foot home is valued at just over $1 million, according to the real estate website Zillow.
According to an audit conducted by White's office, $171,000 in TANF money was used as the down payment toward Dupree's home and surrounding property.
White told ESPN such purchases "would be unallowable because of the prohibition against purchasing real property with TANF funds." He also noted the "unreasonableness" of using federal welfare money, intended for job training and assistance for needy families, to help purchase a five-bedroom home and a horse farm for a state-contracted employee."
I hope the state goes after all of them and is able to nail everyone that took advantage of this program that was designed to help these people who really needed it. Instead of helping, these guys are building volleyball courts and buying horse farms.
Dupree decries Favre comparison in fraud case
Marcus Dupree, a Mississippi football legend, denies that he defrauded the state's welfare system and is "shocked" to be "lumped in" with Brett Favre in the fraud investigation's findings.
