On the eve of the special election Tuesday, Mississippi House of Representatives District 38 candidate Lisa Wynn criticized a recent filing made with the Mississippi Ethics Commission by fellow candidate Cheikh Taylor.
The back-and-forth between candidates stems from Taylor filing a Statement of Economic Interest with the Mississippi Ethics Commission.
Wynn criticized Taylor’s filing under section D of the form, which requests “all the names and addresses of all businesses for which any of the following statements are true for the filer, filer's spouse and any person over the age of twenty-one (21) who resided in the household during the entire preceding calendar year, including the name of any position in or relationship to the business.”
The statements ask for elaboration if the candidates: “Receives more than Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($2,500,00) per year in income from the business. 2. Owns ten percent (10%) or more of the fair market value in the business, either directly or through another business. 3. Owns an ownership interest in the business, the fair market value of which exceeds Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) or, 4. Is an employee, director or officer of the business.”
The business name Taylor mentioned on the filing was Level III - a civic, cultural and education center in downtown Starkville that is sometimes used as a bar and grill, according to Taylor.
“They ask for any secondary employment, any other sources of income, any other business ownership and that was in the questionnaire,” Taylor said. “I’m not the owner, I just receive income.”
Taylor also serves as executive director of the Brickfire Project, a private 501c3 nonprofit agency.
WYNN BLASTS FILING
Wynn criticized the timeliness of Taylor’s filing, saying “It is my belief that Mr. Taylor delayed this filing because he did not want to disclose that his employer (Brickfire Project which is owned by his parents) receives thousands of dollars in grant funding from the State of Mississippi (Mississippi Department of Education).”
The Mississippi Ethics Commission requires candidates to file 15 days after the deadline for qualification for public office.
The Starkville Daily News reported Taylor officially qualified for the House District 38 race on Aug. 4., with the deadline to qualify for the House race falling on Sept. 18.
According to the filing, Taylor submitted the Statement of Economic Interest on Nov. 3.
Taylor called Wynn’s accusations a “last ditch effort” and said the public funding received by the Brickfire Project is in the form of a certificate program, for child care and after school services.
“If she had legitimate information, she would have given a statute and even a name,” Taylor said “This is conjecture she is throwing out she is hoping will stick.”
Wynn also pointed to a possible conflict of interest due to Taylor’s organization receiving funds from the Mississippi Department of Education.
Taylor, however, said any potential conflict of interest would be discussed and addressed once he is elected office, not before.
“They don’t do these investigations until after you’re in office,” Taylor said. “On that application, survey, it says if you’re a director of a federal or state agency, you have to list it. We’re not a federal institution, not a state institution. I think that is the source of contention when saying I can’t vote on education.”
Wynn also criticized the employment of Taylor’s wife, Jamila B. Taylor, who works at Mississippi State University in the Department of Human Sciences, in the Early Years Network.
“Mr. Taylor failed to place in his SEI statement that his wife is employed by Mississippi State University,” Wynn said. “It is sad and unfortunate that this has occurred on behalf of a candidate that is seeking to become a public servant. he failed and neglected to tender the truth to the Ethics Commission regarding his and his wife’s employment.”
Section C of the filing asks for a “List of all other occupations of the filer, filer's spouse and any person over the age of twenty-one (21) who resided in the household during the entire preceding calendar year.”
The occupations listed for both “self” and “spouse” on the filing are reported as “administrative services managers.”
While Taylor accused Wynn of disseminating similar information about him and his campaign in the restrooms of local businesses - like Walmart, Kroger and Vowell’s Market Place - he said he never wanted the campaign to devolve to mudslinging.
“I did not want to respond to this,” Taylor said. “I did not want to turn the campaign into this at all.”