Brett Favre’s role in a massive welfare scandal in Mississippi is reportedly far more direct and involved than previously known.
Sports Illustrated‘s Michael Rosenberg reported Wednesday that Favre’s efforts to help build a volleyball facility for his daughter’s team at his alma mater, Southern Miss, involved “‘repeated demands for … grant money (that) were certainly the driving force’ for millions of dollars in illegal transactions.”
The article, entitled “‘The Driving Force’: How Brett Favre’s Demands for Cash Fueled a Scandal,” notes that, “Favre has portrayed himself as an unknowing and tangential participant in the welfare-embezzlement scheme. But it appears nobody benefited more. Interviews and an analysis of legal filings and records, which include dozens of text conversations — some of which have not previously been public — paint Favre as a ringleader from start to finish.”
In early 2020, the Mississippi state auditor arrested six people accused of misappropriating welfare funds intended for the state’s poorest residents. Some of that money went to Favre’s efforts to build the volleyball facility. The Mississippi Department of Human Services has filed a civil complaint against Favre on the matter. In early May, the former NFL star’s attorney filed a denial of allegations he used misappropriated funds.
Favre has been portrayed by some as a passive participant in the scheme, with SI noting, “At times, the former quarterback comes off as comically clueless.” However, the report concludes that as more information is uncovered, Favre faces real trouble with “the distinct possibility he will be indicted.”
