Retired NFL legend Brett Favre and others are being sued by the State of Mississippi to recover more than $20 million in welfare funding inappropriately diverted into the special projects of well-connected Mississippians in the state’s largest-ever public corruption scandal.
Summary
Retired NFL legend Brett Favre and others are being sued by the State of Mississippi to recover more than $20 million in welfare funding inappropriately diverted into the special projects of well-connected Mississippians in the state’s largest-ever public corruption scandal.
- Favre texted then-Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant on several occasions to secure welfare funding for two pet projects – a volleyball arena and football practice facility at Southern Mississippi University – according to court documents filed Friday.
- Favre and other prominent and well-connected Mississippians are accused of misusing money meant for needy families in a state lawsuit seeking to claw back more than $20 million in state funds. Two people have pled guilty on fraud charges related to this case.
- Bryant and Favre are not facing criminal charges, although Favre is a defendant in the civil suit.
- ESPN and SiriusXM have both suspended Favre’s radio appearances due to his ties to the welfare scandal.
- The New York Times called the $8 million Favre allegedly misappropriated “Brett Favre’s most memorable stat” and wrote Favre’s actions may have “compromised the standing earned with his football success across a 20-year NFL career.
- CNN reported Favre continued to put pressure on then-Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant for the volleyball facility funding even after being warned his actions were possibly illegal.
- NBC News reported Favre told then-Gov. Bryant “we are not taking no for an answer” over millions in state funds for a volleyball center, but Favre has denied any wrongdoing.
- The Wall Street Journal wrote Bryant’s attorneys claimed he was unaware the $5 million funding for the University of Southern Mississippi came from federal poverty aid and called any allegation of his knowledge an “outright lie.”
- The New York Post reported Favre later tried to pressure Bryant into providing welfare funding for a football facility at Southern Mississippi University even after the state spent millions on his university volleyball arena project.
- Breitbart reported the impetus behind Favre’s second request – $1.5 million for a football training facility – was to recruit NFL legend Deion Sanders’ son to the University of Southern Mississippi.
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© Dominic Moore, 2022
