Football quarterback Brett Favre—best known for his more than 20-season career playing for the Green Bay Packers—was questioned by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) after an audit in Favre's home state of Mississippi alleged that state's Department of Human Services misspent $94 million intended for at-need residents, including $1.1 million paid out to Favre's company for two speaking appearances he did not make.
The Mississippi state auditor's office found that federal grant funds diverted from Mississippi's Temporary Assistance for Needy Families welfare funds (TANF), as well as tens of millions in public funds as an element of the scheme. Favre has repaid the fees, but not $228,000 in interest the auditor also demanded.
Favre has not been accused of a crime or charged and has declined to speak with reporters. His attorney has said that he did nothing wrong and that he did not know he was paid with money intended to help poor children.
The scandal first gained attention in 2020, after Favre's involvement with the development and promotion of a concussion treatment drug, Prevasol, by the Prevacus corporation, came under scrutiny.
The nonprofit Mississippi Community Education Center (MCEC) received $2.5 million in TANF funds and a grand jury in Hinds County indicted MCEC founder, Nancy New, and her son Zach in the scheme. New and her son have pleaded guilty to state and federal charges and are cooperating with authorities.
These latest developments have exposed Favre to heavy criticism.
\u201cAbsolutely disgusting!\u201d— Augusta-May (@Augusta-May) 1662267603
\u201cOne of the poorest. I\u2019m glad they are finally getting Brett for this. Next the DHS and all who signed off in this \n#Mississippi VOTE!!\u201d— samirah68*Still Dope Podcast (@samirah68*Still Dope Podcast) 1662258819
\u201cWild. Even as a Bears fan, I have to say I did not see the Brett Favre turns out to despicable ghoul who gleefully pilfers funds from children on welfare plot twist coming, but there you are. The packers sure do know how pick them some assholes.\u201d— TheeMermaidQueen\ud83d\udc9b (@TheeMermaidQueen\ud83d\udc9b) 1662225259
\u201cBrett Favre is like one bad day away from robbing a stagecoach\u201d— Mike Guardabascio (@Mike Guardabascio) 1662131705
\u201cThis guy. Couldn\u2019t even bother to make the speeches. Didn\u2019t need the money. A crime even if he *did* show up to the events and give remarks. He is objectively a garbage person.\u201d— Jennifer S. Hyk \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\ud83c\udff4\ud83d\udc99\ud83c\udf0e (@Jennifer S. Hyk \ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\ud83c\udff4\ud83d\udc99\ud83c\udf0e) 1662126953
\u201cStay tuned for more developments on this folks. The corruption among those in power in Mississipi is just stunning, and it has been that way for a long time. \n\nThe nation's poorest state used welfare money to pay Brett Favre for speeches he never made https://t.co/n8524juodG\u201d— Doug Jones (@Doug Jones) 1662076438
\u201cA nation of grifters scamming the poor and downtrodden at every opportunity \ud83d\ude12\u201d— Peter Dale Thrash Metal (@Peter Dale Thrash Metal) 1662092364
\u201cThis is disgusting, he knew, they always know.\u201d— Laura Sweeney (@Laura Sweeney) 1662227910
\u201cCan you imagine taking $2 million in welfare money without doing anything to earn it? Multimillionaire Brett Favre should be ashamed of himself!\u201d— Antonio Booth (@Antonio Booth) 1662301521
Favre, a prominent Republican who endorsed former President Donald Trump in the 2020 general election, addressed the controversy last year, saying that Shad White, the state auditor, had decided to "continue to push out this lie that the money was for no-show events is something I cannot stay silent about."
White has rejected Favre's defense, saying that Favre is using his "megaphone as a celebrity to drown out the facts, but it will not change the facts.”
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