Mrs. America Investigated for Cheating Welfare System

Reigning Mrs. America Jill Scott is being investigated for welfare fraud by the San Diego County Department of Social Services.

Scott, 32, who terminated her welfare payments Friday, was under investigation for allegedly cheating the state system.

Scott denied through her attorney, Matthew Kremer, that she had deliberately cheated the system.

Kremer said Scott applied for welfare shortly after filing for divorce from George E. Scott in July. The couple had been separated since September, 1990, Kremer said.

Since June, George Scott has been under court order to pay $1,340 a month in child and spousal support, Kremer said. But Scott has sent less than $1,000 to his wife, Kremer said.

He said that Jill Scott gave the money to her parents to repay a debt, although she should have sent it to the county Department of Revenue and Recovery.

“This was an error,” Kremer said. “She regrets the mistake.”

Jill Scott was crowned Mrs. America in December, 1990, at a pageant in which she competed as Mrs. Arizona. Her term expires in April. She has two children, ages 6 and 8.

Being Mrs. America has not eased her financial problem, Kremer said.

“Other than the title, it doesn’t mean a whole lot,” Kremer said. “She doesn’t get paid for speaking engagements. It’s supposed to lead to bigger and better things, but in her case it hasn’t done much for her. The Mrs. America people have pretty much left her in a lurch.”