Welfare scandal allegedly involving HOF QB gets more curious
The Mississippi corruption scandal allegedly involving Pro Football Hall of Famer Brett Favre has taken another turn.
Front Office Sports reported Tuesday that Favre "has refused to turn over his tax returns or much else, and lawyers for the Mississippi Department of Human Services again requested a judge compel the Hall of Famer to comply with subpoenas issued in the civil case."
According to CNN, in May 2020, Mississippi state auditor Shad White revealed the Department of Human Services misspent "tens of millions of dollars in federal welfare grant funds ... on family members, friends of staffers and grantees."
Later, in October 2021, White announced an independent forensic audit commissioned by the DHS confirmed the misspending.
"It's time for the taxpayers to attempt to recover what we lost," White said.
Included in the misuse of taxpayer funds was $5 million for the construction of the Southern Miss Volleyball Wellness Center, which had a reported construction cost of $7 million.
Mississippi Free Press has extensive text messages that show Favre's involvement in getting the money needed for the center, including $1.1 million in payments made directly to him in 2017 and 2018. Favre has denied he knew the money came from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program and returned $500,000 in May 2020.
The text messages include an April 20, 2017, exchange from Favre to then-Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant. Favre wrote that he needed the governor's "influence" while adding, "Obviously Southern has no money."
The university announced its plans to construct the Wellness Center on Oct. 19, 2017. It began construction in 2018.
On July 31, 2018, USM revealed its endowment reached the $100 million milestone, going against Favre's earlier claim that the university "had no money."
Favre denounced the allegations against him in October 2022, saying, "I have been unjustly smeared in the media. I have done nothing wrong... No one ever told me, and I did not know, that funds designated for welfare recipients were going to the University or me."
The former QB has not been criminally charged.
After making $141.8 million during his 20-year playing career in the NFL, it's unclear why he even needed money from the government in the first place.
Favre's refusal to comply with subpoenas, while not an admission of guilt, only makes it more difficult to reveal the truth.
On Monday, the Associated Press reported Favre's lawyers successfully pushed back their client's deposition, initially scheduled for Oct. 26, to Dec. 11.
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