Brett Favre may go down as one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history but his post-playing career is starting to fill up with scandals and unsavory developments. The latest one dropped Tuesday as a new report from Mississippi Today outlines the Green Bay Packers great’s connection to some shady dealings in state politics and drug projects.
The writer, Anna Wolfe, explores the curious relationship between Favre, a drug company that he invested in, funds used for public welfare, and former Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant.
Part 1 of our investigation:
Former Gov. Phil Bryant used his office, political influence and connections to help NFL legend Brett Favre boost a fledgling drug company.
Then he tried to cash in on the project when he left office, text messages show: https://t.co/EQBc0dBieE pic.twitter.com/eTqTtgcjwo
— Adam Ganucheau (@GanucheauAdam) April 4, 2022
Back in 2017, Favre touted biomedical startup Prevacus, which claimed to be working on a treatment for concussions. According to Wolfe’s reporting, he was looking to make at least $20 million off the investment but needed the company to get more funding as well as position itself well in Mississippi politics. That’s when he reportedly reached out to Bryant in order to secure both.
“It’s 3rd and long and we need you to make it happen!!” Favre texted Bryant in late 2018.
“I will open a hole,” Bryant replied.
Days later, Favre met with welfare officials and reached a $1.7 million investment agreement for Prevacus. Prosecutors now say that this money was stolen from federal funding that was earmarked for services to help Missisippit’s poorest residents.
Adding fuel to the fire, Bryant accepted stock in Prevacus just two days after leaving office in 2020. The former governor told Mississippi Today that while the timeline of events “doesn’t look good,” he claims that he never intended to accept the stock and did not read his texts carefully enough to note the connection when he eventually did.
“I should’ve caught that and I just simply didn’t,” Bryant said.
For the amount we know was misspent, the state could have provided a low-income family with a year’s worth of all of these things: rent, electricity, child care, diapers, monthly transportation stipends, and 8 meals a day… and then done it again 2,690 more times. https://t.co/JLrN9ph2V4
— Anna Wolfe (@ayewolfe) April 4, 2022
A text from Favre to one of his partners read “Don’t know if legal or not but we need cut him in,” in regards to Bryant. Favre later also texted to say “Also if legal I’ll give some of my shares to the Governor.”
Technically, neither Bryant nor Favre have been accused of a crime as of yet, but it’s a pretty terrible look for both of them, especially given that this isn’t the first time the former NFL great has been accused of bilking money from the state’s welfare funds.
Last October, Favre was told by the state to return $828,000 that he received for speaking engagements that should have gone to needy families. While Favre did eventually pay it back after a protracted process, he did not include interest owed in that repayment.
Whether or not he’s charged with anything or if anything even comes of this, it’s clear that Favre’s reputation off-the-field seems to be diminishing every year.
oh just brett favre and the governor trading football metaphors about stealing money meant for the most vulnerable people in mississippi https://t.co/GMHriAi3hy pic.twitter.com/vBiQ7amieM
— Brian Floyd (@BrianMFloyd) April 4, 2022
y’all – remember that weird story a couple of years ago about Brett Favre getting $1M in basically free money from the Miss. welfare dept? surprise, surprise, it was even shadier than it seemed: https://t.co/Qv9UAe1azi
— shalise manza young (@shalisemyoung) April 4, 2022
What? @BrettFavre in a shady business deal? That's unpossible! https://t.co/oFKdMx1ObR
— Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) April 4, 2022
