The State Auditor's Office carried out a search warrant at the Ocean Springs home of Scott Walker today, the agency has confirmed to the Sun Herald.

The search began at the East Beach home about 10 a.m. today, and continued into the afternoon, witnesses said, but investigators would give no details about the search. The auditors' vehicles had left by about 2:30 p.m. after hours of searching, witnesses said.

"I'll just confirm we did execute a search warrant and that's really all I can say," said David Huggins, director of the auditor's investigations division.

Scott Walker is a politically connected South Mississippi businessman and the son of former Department of Marine Resources Director Bill Walker, who was fired in January amid state and federal investigations of its spending.

The Sun Herald will update this story as details become available.