The Marshall Project

Mississippi Moonlighting

Congressional hopeful, district attorney, debt collector.

When District Attorney Michael P. Guest announced his bid for U.S. Congress in a packed courtroom in January, he touted his law and order record. Since 2008, Guest has served as district attorney for Madison and Rankin counties, two majority white and relatively affluent counties in Mississippi.

Guest said that he has prosecuted 20,000 felony cases and helped claim over $20 million for local law enforcement agencies through the use of civil asset forfeiture. His entire career, he said, has been dedicated to protecting, “citizens from those who would prey upon others.”

One thing Guest did not mention is his other paying job: municipal debt collector. Since 2002, Guest has served as president of

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