Shannon Sharpe: Brett Favre's 'been a sleazeball'
On Tuesday, a bombshell report from Anna Wolfe of Mississippi Today revealed text messages sent between Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre and then-Mississippi Republican Governor Phil Bryant, seemingly showing the duo collaborating on a welfare scheme.
While legal experts and analysts will investigate Favre's alleged involvement in the scheme and ultimately the court will decide on how to move forward, the messages entered into a Mississippi state civil lawsuit appear to show texts between the Green Bay Packers legend and Bryant to a woman named Nancy New, who pleaded guilty to misusing public welfare money in April 2022.
New's nonprofit "was in charge of spending tens of millions of flexible federal welfare dollars outside of public view" according to reports.
"Nancy New and Zachary New acknowledged spending welfare grant money on lavish gifts that included first-class airfare for John Davis, executive director of the state Department of Human Services from 2016 to 2019," a report detailing New's guilty plea read. "Nancy New, 69, and Zachary New, 39, agreed to testify against others in what the state auditor has called Mississippi's largest public corruption case in the past two decades. Davis is among those facing state charges."
The texts show that Favre, New, John Davis, Bryant and others were working together to use state welfare money to build a new volleyball center for Southern Miss, where Favre was a standout quarterback from 1987 to 1990, and his daughter, Breleigh, was a volleyball player in 2017 and 2018. The group reportedly "worked together to channel at least $5 million of the state’s welfare funds to build a new volleyball stadium at the University of Southern Mississippi, where Favre’s daughter played the sport. Favre received most of the credit for raising funds to construct the facility."
The three-time MVP had received a $1.1 million welfare contract in order to promote the program.
“I could record a few radio spots,” Favre texted New, according to the reporting “…and whatever compensation could go to USM.”
"If you were to pay me is there any way the media can find out where it came from and how much?" he also texted.
New told Favre that her nonprofit doesn't disclose that information. A day later she texted him: "Wow, Just got off the phone with Phil Bryant! He is on board with us! We will get this done!"
On Wednesday, fellow Hall-of-Famer Shannon Sharpe -- whose Denver Broncos defeated Favre's Packers in Super Bowl XXXII -- blasted the signal-caller for his alleged involvement in the scheme.
New pleaded guilty to 13 felony counts, and Davis, the former executive director of the state Department of Human Service, is waiting for trial. Neither Bryant nor Favre have yet to be charged with a crime.
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