JACKSON, Miss. – State Auditor Shad White announced today that Richie McCluskey will replace David Huggins as Director of Investigations at the Mississippi Office of the State Auditor. Huggins resigned from his position shortly after White became State Auditor, and the office is appreciative of his service.
Richie McCluskey comes to the Auditor’s office from a long law enforcement career which began in 1988 at the Flowood Police Department. McCluskey advanced from Patrolman to Chief Investigator at that Department before leaving in 2000 to become the Senior Criminal Investigator of the Public Integrity Division at the Office of the Attorney General State of Mississippi.
In the Public Integrity Division, McCluskey conducted statewide public corruption and white-collar crime investigations and provided assistance to district attorneys and local law enforcement departments. He investigated and retained convictions for crimes such as financial fraud and identity theft. He also co-led the Civil Rights-era cold case which resulted in the conviction of Edgar Ray Killen. In 2009, McCluskey was named Chief Investigator in the Consumer Protection Division of the Attorney General’s office, where he conducted criminal investigations involving personal fraud and counterfeit goods.
In 2015, Mr. McCluskey returned to the Flowood Police Department as Chief of Police. He worked extensively with the mayor and board of aldermen there to manage a police budget over $5 Million. In this role, he established a memorandum of understanding with federal authorities to allow joint investigations and sharing of resources, which dramatically improved Flowood police operations. He retired from that position earlier this year. During his career, McCluskey has accumulated over 60 law enforcement qualifications.
Marshall Fisher, Commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Public Safety, said, “I applaud State Auditor Shad White’s appointment of Richie McCluskey as his new Director of Investigations. Richie is a respected law enforcement professional who has been an exemplary public servant. I believe his experience, professionalism, and integrity will serve the state of Mississippi well.”
“What attracted me to the State Auditors Office is the leadership and agency’s commitment to staying at the forefront of protecting Mississippi’s taxpayers. The agency has a dedicated team of talented professionals whose mission is protecting the public’s trust by verifying funds provided to state and local governments and are used in a legal and efficient manner for their intended purpose. I look forward to utilizing my experience to support the mission of this team and this office,” said McCluskey.
State Auditor Shad White said, “The Director of Investigations is one of the most critical positions in state government. We searched the state for the right person for this important role, interviewing candidates with a variety of federal and state investigations experience, and we could not have found a better match for the job than Richie McCluskey. Richie is a top-notch, hard-nosed, and fair investigator. He has a proven track record of leading law enforcement entities and handling some of the most complex and difficult cases in Mississippi in recent years. And most importantly to me, he is a man of incredible energy and rock-solid character. We’re going to accomplish a lot for the people of Mississippi.”