Brett Favre is trying to save face despite an overwhelming amount of evidence that seems to contradict his pleas of ignorance.
Favre was allegedly involved in a Mississippi welfare fraud case that state auditors say funneled $5 million in federal welfare grant money to a new volleyball wellness center at the University of Southern Mississippi, his alma mater. Now, despite text messages that heavily imply knowledge of the scam, Favre claims he slipped and fell into one of the largest welfare fraud cases in history.
“I have been unjustly smeared in the media,” Favre told Fox News Digital. “I have done nothing wrong, and it is past time to set the record straight.”
Favre has denied having knowledge that a $5 million grant for the volleyball center came from a welfare fund from needy families. His daughter, Breleigh, played volleyball for Southern Miss, which may have been a driving factor in helping build a new facility for her team.
The Hall of Fame quarterback also received money from the welfare grant due to an advertising clause in the contract.
“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.
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.”
Text messages released in the lawsuit filed in the $77 million fraud case would say otherwise.
Mississippi’s then-governor Phil Bryant warned Favre in text messages that funds for children and low-income adults is “tightly controlled” and “improper use could result in violation of Federal Law.”
In the messages sent to Nancy New — who pleaded guilty in the Mississippi welfare case, Favre asked, “If you were to pay me is there anyway the media can find out where it came from and how much?”
It seems that Favre indicted himself of aligning his own pockets with knowledge of the money coming from places that would raise concern if the media found out. Then as now, his concern appears to have been more about people knowing where he got the money than for whether or not he should have.
