Five
questions with State Auditor Phil Bryant
 Phil
Bryant has the distinct honor of serving as Mississippi’s State
Auditor. He was first appointed to this position in November of 1996,
to serve the unexpired term of his predecessor. Phil was elected to a
full
term as State Auditor in November 1999 and reelected in 2003. Prior to
becoming State Auditor, Phil served five years as a member of the House
of Representatives, where he was the Vice Chairman of the Insurance Committee
and authored the Capital Gains Tax Cut Act of 1992.
Auditor
Bryant is a lifelong Mississippian and a committed member of his community.
He is married to the former Deborah Hays of Jackson and they have two
children. The Bryant’s are active members of St. Marks United Methodist
Church.
1.
How much does the Auditor's office recover in a typical year?
2003
was a banner year for our agency. We recovered one (1) million dollars
that had either been embezzled from the taxpayers’ and/or illegally
misspent.
2.
Any plans to run for higher office?
If
you want to make the good Lord smile, just tell him you have a plan. Obviously,
it is an option I would explore. As always, my family would be my first
priority in any political decision.
3.
What is the worst case of public corruption you've seen while in office?
The
Mississippi Agri-Business Council was dissolved because of the fraud scheme
perpetrated by the Executive Director. We made four arrests for kickbacks
and money laundering. The effect on our state was devastating to an industry
that needed developing.
4.
What do you feel is your greatest accomplishment as State Auditor?
Returning
accountability to government. Government officials know we are uncompromising
when it comes to public corruption. We don’t believe you should
take an oath to serve and protect the citizens who elected you and then
steal their money. This is not a hard concept to understand.
5.
How has the legislature changed since you were a state representative?
The
partisan division is greater than ever before. I don’t criticize
this environment as I believe in openly expressing your ideals and standing
for your principals. If that causes division, then let us make the best
of it. The voters will decide who clearly represents their standards once
political philosophies are clearly aligned.
We are a two-party nation. Each of us in public life must stand with the
political party that reflects our core values. For me, that is clearly
the Republican Party. However, when the campaigns are over, we must work
together to achieve a common good. Just don’t expect me to abandon
my principals for the sake of consensus.
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