Former Mississippi governor sues news site over welfare fraud comments

Former Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant is suing a local news organization, claiming it defamed him in public comments on the misspending of $77 million of federal welfare funds intended to help some of the poorest people in the U.S. The lawsuit comes just over two months after Mississippi Today won a Pulitzer Prize for coverage of the welfare misspending. Bryant’s attorney filed a complaint Wednesday in the Circuit Court of Madison County against the outlet’s CEO and nonprofit owner. The lawsuit does not appear to challenge the accuracy of the outlet's reporting. Henry Laird, an attorney representing Mississippi Today, said he was still reviewing the lawsuit Thursday afternoon.