A judge has dismissed former Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant’s defamation lawsuit against Mississippi Today, which he first filed in 2023 over the publication’s reporting on the welfare scandal that began during his time in office.
The dismissal comes after a federal court dismissed a separate defamation lawsuit the former governor filed against Sports Illustrated.
In a note to its readers, the publication called Madison County Circuit Court Judge Bradley Mills’ decision not only a “vindication for Mississippi Today,” but “a monumental victory for every single Mississippian.”
“Journalism is a public good that all of us deserve and need. Too seldom does our state’s power structure offer taxpayers true government accountability, and Mississippians routinely learn about the actions of their public officials only because of journalism like ours,” the note said.
The lawsuit “was an existential threat to our organization that took time and resources away from our primary responsibilities—which is often the goal of these kinds of legal actions,” Mississippi Today continued. “But our fight was never just about us; it was about preserving the public’s sacred, constitutional right to critical information that journalists provide, just as our nation’s Founding Fathers intended.”
But that fight may not be over. In a statement to the Mississippi Free Press on Friday afternoon, Bryant’s attorney, Billy Quin, raised the possibility of an appeal.
“This case will likely end up on appeal before the Mississippi Supreme Court, which is not obliged to afford weight to the circuit court decision. This matter is far from over,” the lawyer said. “Governor Bryant remains confident in the legal basis and righteousness of this case.”
The former Mississippi governor first filed the lawsuit against MT’s parent company, Deep South Today, in 2023. Bryant alleged that the online news publication and its CEO defamed him by claiming he “embezzled,” “squandered,” and “steered” $77 million in welfare funds “to benefit his family and friends, including NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre.” Investigators have not accused Favre or Bryant of crimes in any of the ongoing welfare scandal cases.
Bryant’s lawsuit expanded last year to include reporting by Anna Wolfe, a Mississippi Today reporter who won a Pulitzer Prize for local reporting on the welfare scandal, and Editor-in-Chief Adam Ganucheau.
After Bryant first threatened a lawsuit in 2023, Mississippi Today CEO Mary Margaret White apologized for claiming he embezzled welfare funds, saying she misspoke. The publication has not retracted any of its reporting.
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