MS Being Short Changed Millions Of Dollars In Tobacco Settlement

The state of Mississippi is being short changed millions of dollars in the 1998 Tobacco Settlement. That's according to a motion heard in Jackson County Chancery Court today.

In arguing for the state Biloxi Attorney Matthew Mestayer said Brown and Williams, one of the four major cigarette companies in the tobacco settlement, excluded 7.8 billion cheap cigarettes made by Brown and Williams for another company.

Mestayer said those cigarettes were not included in Brown and Williams' production numbers to come up with the tobacco settlement.

Mississippi receives 90-100 million each year from the settlement.The motion seeks to add payment for those cigarettes online into the 1998 agreement.

Mestayer said, to date, Brown and Williams has short changed Mississippi $8.1 million.