Friday, March 24, 2023

Campaign insiders grow gov't jobs

Governor Tate Reeves has appointed another one of his top campaign donors. Kent Nicaud, president/CEO of Gulfport Memorial Hospital, was named to the 3-person Mississippi Gaming Commission, growing a list of Reeves insiders who have been given government jobs in his first term. If confirmed, Nicaud will serve the remainder of the term of former Gaming Commissioner Al Hopkins, who died in February. The governor appointed Franc Lee, a payday loan magnate and Reeves’ largest individual donor, to the same commission in 2021. Reeves also appointed Nicaud’s wife, Jenny, as an administrative law judge for the Mississippi Workers Compensation Commission in 2021. Another one of Reeves’ pending appointments is Gerard Gibert, host of a conservative Supertalk Mississippi radio show and regular campaign donor of Reeves. Reeves has appointed three campaign donors to the Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees and two campaign donors to the Mississippi Community College BoardMississippi Today reached out to Reeves’ office to ask for comment - and what he'd tell taxpayers - who are funding his campaign insider appointments. Reeves’ deputy chief of staff Cory Custer e-mailed: “Mississippi Today is not a news organization, it is an unregistered Democrat super PAC and obviously acting like one again today,” but declining to answer the questions. (Mississippi Today 03/23/23) Reeves appoints campaign donors to government posts - Mississippi Today

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