Statement on Investigation into Potential Criminal Violations Under the MS Election Code

Published 3:09 pm Friday, August 4, 2023

This morning, the Attorney General’s Office alerted Invest in Mississippi PAC and Thomas Datwyler that an investigation into potential criminal violations under the Mississippi Election Code, as well as other statutes, had been opened pursuant to a complaint filed with this office on August 3, 2023.

The Legislature made every effort in Mississippi’s Election Code to balance free speech and the integrity of the election process, providing a mechanism by which a corporate entity can exercise speech without exceeding corporate contribution limits. In fact, our law generously protects free speech. But that does not mean there is no line protecting the people from illegitimate influence of our democratic system. The people of Mississippi should be able to expect that those who participate in our electoral process will not seek to exploit this careful balance and step over that line, and in this instance, there is evidence to suggest that has occurred here.