Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood is suing 25 individuals and companies associated with a prison bribery scheme, saying they should have to repay more than $800 million in revenue they received from the state. Photo by Imani Khayyam.
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood is suing 25 individuals and companies associated with a prison bribery scheme, saying they should have to repay more than $800 million in revenue they received from the state.
Hood, a Democrat, announced the 11 separate civil lawsuits Wednesday. He says the effort to recoup bribe-tainted money complements continuing federal criminal prosecutions.
Among those named in Hood's suits are former Corrections Commissioner Christopher Epps and seven other individuals who have pleaded guilty or face criminal charges. Hood is also suing a number of current and former private prison contractors for the state. Those companies have generally denied knowing about the bribes and no executives of large companies have yet faced charges.
Hood says the companies are required to repay the money under Mississippi's anti-racketeering law.
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