The Mississippi State Health Department has responded to a report alleging a grand lack of oversight when issuing public funds to nonprofits.
On Monday, State Auditor Shad White reported that MSDH sent money intended to encourage the public to get tested for HIV/AIDS to nonprofits that used the funds for wasteful purposes. Specific groups, including the Immigrant Alliance for Justice and Equity, Love Inside for Everyone, and Love Me Unlimited 4 Life, are said to have been allocated $853,000 between 2020 and 2025 while using a substantial portion of those dollars on counterproductive ventures.
The Immigrant Alliance for Justice and Equity is reported to have used $17,380.19 in public money to host a “Queerceanera,” a pride month event highlighting obstacles in the Latin community’s LGBTQ+ population. Of that figure, $327.36 went to Bud Light and Corona beer purchases, $2,500 on gift cards for event attendees, and $14,126.84 on the venue, food, supplies, DJ, photographer, and travel for the event.
An additional $699.79 was spent on 19 spa gift baskets “for women” from Amazon, per the auditor. $137.79 went to five Lyft rideshares in New York City in early March 2023, which included a two-hour stop at “the longest running lesbian bar in the country.” $82.50 was spent on a dinner at a “restaurant in Baltimore” despite the receipt address being for a tobacco/vape store.
Love Inside for Everyone was given $4,000 to cover rental fees for a nightclub said to be operated by the nonprofit’s director to host monthly “diva brunches.” Over $90,000 with no receipts or supporting documentation was utilized to host Gay Pride Weekend in Jackson in 2023.
According to White’s report, Love Me Unlimited 4 Life was given over $140,000, which went to salaries with a requirement to hire people who identify as gender non-conforming, people with HIV ages 17-34, members of the LGBTQIA community, and/or those at risk for acquiring HIV.
During the five-year stint in which these nonprofits received taxpayer dollars, a total of 35 HIV tests were administered by the three groups.
“It’s almost like our government hates us,” White said, blasting an alleged lack of oversight by MSDH in issuing these funds. “This kind of spending defies all common sense and is an insult to hardworking taxpayers.”
State Health Officer Dan Edney promptly responded to the auditor’s report and noted that the department took the findings therein “seriously,” while also admitting that there were lapses in how HIV/AIDS prevention funds were monitored.
While noting that the mistakes are “unacceptable” and “not reflective” of the state agency’s mission, Edney said that the report dealt with prior agreements with nonprofits, none of which are currently in place. The state health officer further emphasized that actions had been taken in the past to strengthen oversight and accountability, including a leadership overhaul in the affected program in 2024. He added that MSDH has tightened its grant management and compliance processes.
“Since I was appointed State Health Officer, we have been actively working on improvements to create a culture of compliance while identifying inefficiencies and areas of risk to improve how MSDH serves the public,” Edney stated. “As part of this effort, we have strengthened our infrastructure to support grants management with clear deliverables, accountability, and comprehensive oversight across both federal and state programs.”
Edney is hopeful that the auditor’s report does not taint the public’s perception of other nonprofit MSDH partners operating in good faith across the state to promote health and wellness.
In the meantime, MSDH reports that its internal audit division will continue to partner with White’s office while using an oversight blunder as a teaching moment to improve operations.
