Shad White

About

Shadrack (Shad) White has served as Mississippi’s state auditor since 2018 when Governor Phil Bryant appointed him to the position after the resignation of his predecessor. White was elected in 2019 with no opposition, and won again by a wide margin in 2023.

Prior to being appointed state auditor, White served as director of the Mississippi Justice Institute (MJI), the legal advocacy arm of the conservative Mississippi Center for Public Policy. The think tank is part of the far-right web of groups known as the State Policy Network. During his tenure at MJI, White says that the institute “built a reputation for taking tough stands against government overreach.” Among his efforts was a push for privatizing education, with an emphasis on defending the constitutionality of charter schools.

White appears to be very politically ambitious. Since working as state auditor, he has drawn significant local media attention for his lawsuit against NFL Hall of Famer Brett Favre for putative welfare fraud. White has written a book on the subject — Mississippi Swindle: Brett Favre and the Welfare Scandal that Shocked America — set to be published in August 2024. As state auditor he accuses bad actors, including Favre, of misusing upwards of $70 million from the state’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds. In 2023, Favre sued White for defamation and in February 2024. Mississippi’s Republican attorney general sued White over jurisdictional issues related to the case, claiming that it is her purview (not his) to pursue repayment of funds from Favre.

White holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Mississippi; a master’s from Oxford University, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar; and a law degree from Harvard, where he served as president of Harvard’s chapter of the Federalist Society. He currently serves in the Mississippi National Guard, according to the disclosure in his latest Statement of Financial Interests.

Actions

• Signed SFOF-organized, anti-Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) letter to Fortune 1000 Executives (10/24/24)

Latest Campaign Filings

• Candidate Committee Report (10/2023 – 12/2023)
• Candidate Committee Report (01/2023 – 09/2023)

Statements of Financial Interests

• 2024 Statement of Financial Interests
• 2023 Statement of Financial Interests
• 2022 Statement of Financial Interests
• 2021 Statement of Financial Interests

Contact Information

Mississippi Office of the State Auditor
501 North West Street, Woolfolk Building, Suite 801
Jackson, MS 39201
Website: osa.ms.gov
Phone: (601) 576-2800
Email: auditor@osa.ms.gov
Toll-free: (800) 321-1275
Fax: (601) 576-2687