Steve Patterson | |
|---|---|
| 39th State Auditor of Mississippi | |
| In office January 9, 1992 – November 1, 1996 | |
| Preceded by | Pete Johnson |
| Succeeded by | Phil Bryant |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Democratic Party |
Steven A. Patterson is an American lawyer and politician who served as State Auditor of Mississippi from 1992 to 1996. A Democrat, he worked on several political campaigns in the 1970s and served as treasurer for Bill Allain's 1983 gubernatorial campaign. With Allain's backing, Patterson assumed the chairmanship of the Mississippi Democratic Party, which he held until 1987.
In 1991 Patterson ran for the office of state auditor. Taking office in 1992, he secured law enforcement powers for some the employees of his office and gained authorization to conduct performance audits of state agencies. He was reelected in 1995, but resigned the following year after he came under investigation for several instances of malfeasance. In 2006, he joined a law firm, despite not being a lawyer. In 2008 he pled guilty to a charge of conspiracy to bribe an elected official.