Mississippi News
Brett Favre on welfare scandal: ‘I have done nothing wrong’
Brett Favre on welfare scandal: ‘I have done nothing wrong’
Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre, who has become a central figure in Mississippi’s ongoing welfare scandal, broke his months-long silence in a statement to Fox News on Tuesday.
Favre has been a subject of Mississippi Today and national reporting this year for being the inspiration behind at least $8 million in welfare misspending. While the former quarterback has not been charged with a crime, he had been ordered to pay back $1.1 million in welfare dollars he received.
Earlier this month, Favre hired Trump White House attorney Eric Herschmann as his lead counsel. And in recent weeks, several sponsors have reportedly distanced themselves from the the Hall of Fame quarterback and native Mississippian.
“I have been unjustly smeared in the media,” Favre said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “I have done nothing wrong, and it is past time to set the record straight.”
Among the welfare expenses Favre inspired was a $5 million payment to University of Southern Mississippi, his alma mater, for a volleyball center. The planners of the project called the building a “wellness center,” claiming the building would serve needy families in the Hattiesburg area.
When Mississippi Today asked Favre in 2020 if he had discussed the volleyball center with then-Gov. Phil Bryant, who oversaw the state welfare agency, Favre said, “No.” But text messages uncovered earlier this year and published in Mississippi Today’s “The Backchannel” investigation show Favre had several conversations with Bryant about the project.
In his statement to Fox News this week, Favre said he did not know that project was funded with welfare dollars, and that attorneys vetted the project before it was approved. But he did acknowledge in the statement that the funding came from the government, and he admitted he took money from Mississippi Community Education Center, the nonprofit that facilitated much of the misspending, calling it a “charity.”
“No one ever told me, and I did not know, that funds designated for welfare recipients were going to the University or me,” Favre said. “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.”
Mississippi Today and other outlets have reported for years the fact that the Attorney General’s Office and the Institutes for Higher Learning board approved the Wellness Center agreement.
READ MORE: ‘You stuck your neck out for me’: Brett Favre used fame and favors to pull welfare dollars
Separate from the USM volleyball center, Favre also solicited and received welfare funding to launch a pharmaceutical company called Prevacus, which purportedly aimed to develop drugs that would prevent concussions. Favre’s statement to Fox News this week did not allude to this aspect of the welfare scandal.
While Favre has previously said he didn’t know the funding he received was from a program that is supposed to help the poor, text messages published in our “The Backchannel” investigation show he knew he was dealing in government grants. Favre has not been accused of a crime within the scheme and declined to interview with Mississippi Today.
In 2020, Favre told Mississippi Today that the Prevacus project was “about economic development plain and simple!!!” But text messages revealed that Favre had personal motives at heart.
The week Prevacus was supposed to receive its first round of funding from New, Favre texted his partner of top welfare officials: “This all works out we need to buy her and John Davis surprise him with a vehicle I thought maybe John Davis we could get him a raptor.”
Minutes later, Favre followed up: “Honestly give me your thoughts on what you think all this means … When we will make money.”
Favre also once texted: “Call me crazy but my goal is to take home 20 million.”
Text messages also show Favre also briefed Bryant on when the company began receiving funding from the state and that Bryant agreed to accept stock in Prevacus after he left office – until State Auditor Shad White’s early 2020 arrests derailed the arrangement.
Bryant explained to Mississippi Today that he didn’t read his texts carefully enough to appreciate what the men were saying or asking of him.
Editor’s note: Mississippi Today Editor-in-Chief Adam Ganucheau’s mother signed off on the language of a lease agreement to construct a University of Southern Mississippi volleyball stadium. Read more about that here.
This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
Mississippi News
Ole Miss women get pair of double-doubles and roll to 83-65 March Madness win over Ball State
SUMMARY: Mississippi coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin found solace in returning to a different arena in Waco, Texas, following a disappointing previous tournament experience. The No. 5 seed Ole Miss Rebels redeemed themselves with an 83-65 victory over 12th-seeded Ball State in the NCAA Tournament’s first round. Starr Jacobs led the Rebels with 18 points and 11 rebounds, while Kennedy Todd-Williams and Madison Scott each scored 15 points. Ole Miss dominated rebounding, leading 52-32, and will face fourth-seeded Baylor next. Coach McPhee-McCuin noted the team’s evolution since their last visit and the significance of playing in Texas, where Jacobs feels at home.
The post Ole Miss women get pair of double-doubles and roll to 83-65 March Madness win over Ball State appeared first on www.wjtv.com
Mississippi News
Events happening this weekend in Mississippi: March 21-23
SUMMARY: This weekend (March 21-23), Mississippi offers a range of exciting events. Highlights include Hal’s Marching MALfunction Second Line Stomp and Jessie Robinson’s blues performance in Jackson, as well as the Natchez Food & Wine Festival and the Natchez Little Theatre’s production of *This Side of Crazy*. There are also numerous exhibitions like *Of Salt and Spirit: Black Quilters in the American South* in Jackson and *Gold in the Hills* in Vicksburg. Other events include the 48th Annual Crawfish Classic Tennis Tournament in Hattiesburg, karaoke nights in Laurel, and a variety of family-friendly activities across the state.
The post Events happening this weekend in Mississippi: March 21-23 appeared first on www.wjtv.com
Mississippi News
Events happening this weekend in Mississippi: March 14-16
SUMMARY: This weekend (March 14-16) in Mississippi offers a variety of events. In Jackson, iconic saxophonist Boney James performs at the convention center, while the JXN Food & Wine festival showcases culinary talents. The LeFleur Museum District hosts a “Week of Wonder,” and several exhibitions, including “Of Salt and Spirit,” celebrate Black quilters. Natchez features the Spring Pilgrimage tours, a reenactment of Annie Stewart’s story, and a St. Patrick’s Day celebration. In Hattiesburg, comedian Rob Schneider performs, and various events like a St. Patrick’s Day pub crawl and a talent show will take place throughout the area.
The post Events happening this weekend in Mississippi: March 14-16 appeared first on www.wjtv.com
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