Brett Favre breaks silence on Mississippi welfare scandal: ‘Unjustly smeared’
Brett Favre is hitting back after the state of Mississippi filed a civil lawsuit against 38 people or companies, including the Packers legend, over misuse of welfare funds.
Favre received $1.1 million from a nonprofit called the Mississippi Community Education Center — which got the money from the Department of Human Services — for alleged speaking engagements that he ultimately did not make. He repaid the money but there’s $228,000 in interest that is outstanding, according to the Associated Press. Favre is also accused of helping trying to funnel $5 million toward a new volleyball facility at the University of Southern Mississippi, where Favre played football and where his daughter plays volleyball.
The Hall of Fame quarterback, 53, denied knowing the money was coming from dollars earmarked for welfare funding. He is not facing criminal charges.
“I have been unjustly smeared in the media,” Favre said in a statement to Fox News. “I have done nothing wrong, and it is past time to set the record straight.
“No one ever told me, and I did not know, that funds designated for welfare recipients were going to the University or me. I tried to help my alma mater USM, a public Mississippi state university, raise funds for a wellness center. My goal was and always will be to improve the athletic facilities at my university.
“State agencies provided the funds to Nancy New’s charity, the Mississippi Community Education Center, which then gave the funds to the University, all with the full knowledge and approval of other State agencies, including the State-wide Institute for Higher Learning, the Governor’s office and the Attorney General’s office.
“I was told that the legal work to ensure that these funds could be accepted by the university was done by State attorneys and State employees.”
According to Fox News, the Mississippi Community Education Center obtained a $5 million block grant from the state’s Department of Human Services in October 2017. The money was meant for a Temporary Assistance for Needy Families welfare fund.
Shad White, the state auditor who uncovered the welfare fraud, told Fox News that the “analysis was incorrect” when the Attorney General’s office approved the grant.
“The volleyball court needed to be used to benefit the needy in Hattiesburg,” White said. “And fast forward to today, what we know now is that the volleyball court has not been used to benefit the needy. So, this is an unallowable use of TANF funds for a few different reasons. And for those reasons, it doesn’t matter that the attorney signed off on this. What matters is that it simply is not an allowable use of TANF funds, and it’s our job in the auditor’s office to point that out when we see it.”
While White says it’s possible Favre didn’t know the money was coming from TANF funds, he says Favre had to know it was government money, based on a text exchange he had with Nancy New that has been made public. The texts show Favre asking New, “If you were to pay me is there anyway the media can find out where it came from and how much?”
White also said the state had to “demand” the $1.1 million back from Favre because he did not fulfill his alleged speaking obligations. Favre’s attorney, Eric Herschmann, told Fox News that Favre fulfilled requests to record radio spots and never “no showed” a speaking engagement.
A court filing previously obtained by ESPN showed text exchanges between Favre and former Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant, in which Bryant warned Favre that improper use of state welfare funds “could result in violation of Federal Law.” Favre continued to push for the volleyball facility after the warning, according to the filing.
The Associated Press also reported that court documents show Favre tried to get more money for a new facility for the Southern Miss football team.
Mississippi is looking to recoup about $24 million from all parties named in the lawsuit.
