Auditor Shad White (pictured) says Noxubee County Chancery Clerk Mary Washington illegally donated nearly $20,000 in public money intended for office expenses to multiple churches from 2010 through 2012. Photo by Mississippi Center for Public Policy
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi's state auditor is demanding that a chancery clerk pay the state nearly $39,000.
Auditor Shad White says Noxubee County Chancery Clerk Mary Washington illegally donated nearly $20,000 in public money intended for office expenses to multiple churches from 2010 through 2012.
The $39,000 total includes interest and investigative costs as well.
White says he'll sue in civil court if Washington doesn't repay the money.
It's generally illegal in Mississippi to donate public money to private groups without a law giving permission.
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