Interim Hinds County District Attorney Brad McCullouch asked State Auditor Shad White on Friday to conduct an independent review of the office's financial practices and internal controls, according to WLBT. The request came four days after McCullouch was appointed to replace Jody Owens, who resigned following a guilty plea to a federal conspiracy charge.

“Accountability begins with our office,” McCullouch said in a statement. “An independent review provides the public with objective assurance. If our practices are sound, the public deserves that. If improvements are identified, we will make them.”

The announcement marks the first major move by McCullouch since Governor Tate Reeves appointed him to fill the remainder of Owens' term. A special election to replace Owens permanently is set for November.

Owens pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of conspiracy to commit bribery. The charge stemmed from a scheme in which Owens, then Hinds County District Attorney, accepted payments in exchange for official actions. His resignation followed days later.

Separately, Owens has moved to surrender his law license, according to a Clarion Ledger report published Saturday. The Mississippi Bar has not yet publicly docketed the petition, but the move is standard for attorneys convicted of felony offenses. If the Mississippi Supreme Court accepts the surrender, Owens will be disbarred and unable to practice law in the state.

The audit request and the license surrender are the first concrete aftershocks of Owens' guilty plea, which sent shockwaves through Jackson's legal and political establishment. Owens had held the office since 2016 and was widely considered one of the most powerful elected officials in Hinds County.

McCullouch, who previously served as a prosecutor in the same office, now inherits a staff, a budget, and a caseload that operated under Owens for nearly a decade. He has not said whether he will request a broader forensic audit or limit the review to financial controls.

The timing is notable. McCullouch's appointment itself has drawn scrutiny: he lives in Madison County, not Hinds County. A University of Mississippi law professor told WLBT this week that the appointment may violate the Mississippi Constitution, which requires district attorneys to reside in the district they serve.

Reeves' office has not responded to the constitutional question. McCullouch has not said whether he plans to relocate.

The special election in November will determine who serves the remainder of Owens' term, which runs through 2027. Candidates have until September to qualify. No major candidates have announced.

For now, McCullouch's invitation to the auditor is a signal: the new administration wants distance from the old one. Whether the audit finds problems or not, the message has already landed.