ALBANY, NY (May 5, 2023) - The Museum of Political Corruption proudly announces that Anna Wolfe, Investigative Reporter for Mississippi Today has been named the 2023 winner of Museum’s Nellie Bly Award for Investigative Reporting. Anna Wolfe’s tenacious reporting has resulted in her exposing the biggest case of fraud in Mississippi government history.

The case involved Mississippi state officials’ mishandling of millions in federal funds intended to assist struggling families. Those involved have pleaded guilty and investigations by the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office are ongoing.

“I started reporting on Mississippi’s welfare system with a simple but often overlooked question: What is the poorest, yet most federally funded state in the nation doing to solve poverty? Who knew getting the answer would require the very kind of innovative, dogged and brave reporting that Nellie Bly championed. I’m certainly honored to receive this award in her name,” offered Wolfe.

Wolfe is the 7 th annual recipient of the award. Previous “Nellie” winners include Jerry Mitchell, Alex Gibney, Jane Mayer, Megan Twohey, Jodi Kantor, Jim Heaney, and Susanne Craig.

“By focusing on corruption and poverty, Anna seeks justice and gives a voice to her community’s most vulnerable,” said MPC President Bruce Roter. “Her tenacious reporting informs and empowers the public -- it carries on Nellie Bly’s tremendous legacy.

”Founded in 2017, the Nellie Bly Award honors the legacy of the pioneering 19 th century reporter who dedicated her career to exposing social injustice. The award is announced annually on May 5th in commemoration of Nellie Bly’s birthday.

Wolfe is the recipient of numerous awards, including two Goldsmith Prizes for Investigative Reporting, the Collier Prize for State Government Accountability, the John Jay/Harry Frank Guggenheim Excellence in Criminal Justice Reporting Award, the Al Neuharth Innovation in Investigative Journalism Award, the Sidney Award, and the National Press Foundation’s Poverty and Inequality Award.

The selection committee for the 2023 Nellie Bly Award included MPC Founder and President Bruce Roter, Trustee Karol Kamin, Chair and MPC advisory board members Morgan Pehme and Charles Lewis, and outside advisors Rex Smith, former Editor of the Albany Times Union, and Marc Jacob, former Metro Editor at the Chicago Tribune and Sunday Editor at the Chicago Sun-Times.

The Museum of Political Corruption is a 510(c)(3) nonprofit, nonpartisan institution dedicated to educating and empowering the public by providing a better understanding of corruption and encouraging solutions that promote ethics reform and honest governance. In addition to the Nellie Bly Award, the MPC hosts the DISRUPT international film series.

The MPC’s virtual museum is free and open to the public at www.museumofpoliticalcorruption.org

Contacts: Anna Wolfe awolfe@mississippitoday.org Mobile: (601) 720-5370 Bruce Roter, MPC President AlbanyMPC@gmail.com Mobile: (518) 506-12