Did Brett Favre Illegally Cost Taxpayers Millions?

Former NFL quarterback Brett Favre has been accused of misusing Mississippi state welfare funds. Favre is currently one of 47 defendants in a civil lawsuit over misspent welfare money. He has denied any wrongdoing and has not been criminally charged. However, text messages, court filings, and tax records suggest that Favre was aware that the money he received for different projects was welfare money. The case is still ongoing, and Favre's attempts to have his name removed from the lawsuit have been denied.

Did Brett Favre misuse welfare funds?

In 2023, former NFL quarterback Brett Favre became embroiled in a scandal involving the misuse of welfare funds in Mississippi. Favre was accused of misappropriating state funds, specifically receiving money for projects and appearances that he did not complete. While he has not been criminally charged, he is facing civil lawsuits and public scrutiny for his role in the scandal.

The welfare scandal in Mississippi involves the misappropriation of approximately $77 million in state funds, making it the largest corruption case in the state's history. The funds were intended for the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, a federal program that provides grants to states to help families in need. However, instead of reaching those in need, the money was funnelled through the Mississippi Department of Human Services to two nonprofit organizations, the Mississippi Community Education Center (MCEC) and the Family Resource Center (FRC), which then awarded fraudulent contracts.

Favre was connected to this scandal through his involvement in two projects at the University of Southern Mississippi, his alma mater. The first project was a $5 million volleyball facility, for which Favre lobbied then-Governor Phil Bryant for funding. Text messages revealed that Favre was concerned about the privacy of payments and was assured by MCEC founder Nancy New that the information would not be made public. Favre received two payments totalling $1.1 million for appearances and speeches that he did not attend. He claimed that he filmed commercials for the nonprofit organization, but an audit revealed that his contract stated he was required to give speeches and a radio advertisement.

The second project was an indoor football facility, for which Favre also sought funding from the state. Text messages between Favre and Bryant show that Favre was persistent in his requests and even implied that Bryant, as a Southern Miss alumnus, should support the university. Bryant cautioned Favre about the proper use of the funds, stating that any improper use could result in a violation of federal law.

In addition to the projects at the University of Southern Mississippi, Favre is also tied to a pharmaceutical company, Prevacus (now Odyssey Health), that received $2.15 million from the scheme. Favre was a top investor in the company and offered shares to Bryant.

Favre has denied any wrongdoing and claimed that he was unaware that the money he received was welfare funds. He has repaid the initial payments but still owes interest on the amount, which totals nearly $730,000. He has been named as a defendant in civil lawsuits seeking repayment of the misspent welfare money and has unsuccessfully attempted to have his name removed from the suits.

Was Favre involved in the Mississippi welfare scandal?

Yes, Brett Favre is involved in the Mississippi welfare scandal. He is accused of misusing Mississippi state welfare funds. Favre is currently one of 47 defendants in a civil lawsuit over misspent welfare money.

In 2017, Favre asked then-Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant for funding for a new volleyball facility at the University of Southern Mississippi, his alma mater, and the same school at which his daughter played volleyball. Favre received $500,000 in December 2017 and $600,000 in June 2018 for appearances and speeches at multiple events that he did not attend. He claimed that he filmed commercials for the nonprofit organization and that's why he was given the money. However, an auditor revealed that Favre's contract stated that he needed to give speeches and a radio advertisement. Favre has denied knowing that the money he received was welfare money.

Favre is also tied to a pharmaceutical company, Prevacus, that has been named in the Mississippi scandal. Favre was a top investor in the company, which received $2.15 million from the scheme.

In July 2019, Favre also appeared to want money for a new football facility at Southern Miss. He texted Bryant, "Now that will not happen without your help/commitment!!! I know we have the Vball to complete first and I'm asking a lot with that and I believe 100% that if you can get this done Nancy will reach and help many and in the recruiting war [a new indoor practice facility] will give USM['s football program] instant credibility and [USM football will] become relevant again."

Favre has not been criminally charged in relation to the welfare scandal. However, he has been sued by the Mississippi Department of Human Services, which is seeking to recoup misspent welfare money. Favre repaid the initial payments but owed $228,000 in interest, which he did not pay back by the original deadline. The Mississippi Department of Human Services dropped its demand of $1.1 million from Favre in December 2022, acknowledging that he had already paid that money back. However, there is now a new demand of up to $5 million against Favre and a university sports foundation. Favre's attempts to have his name removed from the lawsuit have been denied.

Did Favre pay back the money?

Yes, Brett Favre paid back the money he received for speaking engagements and appearances that he did not attend. However, he still owes interest on the original amount.

In 2020, Mississippi's state auditor, Shad White, demanded that Favre repay the state for welfare money that was improperly spent on projects that the retired NFL quarterback supported. Favre was accused of receiving $1.1 million in speaking fees from a nonprofit organization that had received welfare funds. The money was intended for a volleyball arena at the University of Southern Mississippi, where Favre's daughter played volleyball.

Favre repaid $500,000 in May 2020 and $600,000 in October 2021. However, in a court filing in February 2024, White claimed that Favre still owed $729,790 in interest, as the original amount he owed had grown over time. Favre's attorneys argued that he had no legal right to the $1.1 million and that he had repaid the money as soon as he became aware of the issue.

In December 2022, the Mississippi Department of Human Services dropped its initial demand of $1.1 million from Favre, acknowledging that he had already repaid that amount. However, they filed a new demand of up to $5 million against Favre and a university sports foundation, alleging that he had orchestrated payments for the construction of the volleyball facility.

Favre has not been criminally charged in connection with the welfare scandal, but he is one of 47 defendants in a civil lawsuit over misspent welfare money. He has also filed defamation lawsuits against several individuals who have made statements about his involvement in the scandal.

Did Favre know the money was from welfare funds?

In August 2017, Brett Favre asked Nancy New, the founder of the Mississippi Community Education Center (MCEC), about the privacy of payments to him. "If you were to pay me, is there any way the media can find out where it came from and how much?" he asked. Favre has denied knowing that the money he received was welfare money, and he has not been criminally charged. However, he is currently one of 47 defendants in a civil lawsuit over misspent welfare money.

In text messages to then-Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant, Favre appeared to want money for a new football facility at the University of Southern Mississippi to help recruit quarterback Shedeur Sanders, the son of Deion Sanders. Favre texted:

> "Now that will not happen without your help/commitment!!! I know we have the Vball to complete first and I'm asking a lot with that and I believe 100% that if you can get this done Nancy will reach and help many and in the recruiting war [a new indoor practice facility] will give USM['s football program] instant credibility and [USM football will] become relevant again."

In July 2019, Bryant texted Favre that the use of the funds is "tightly controlled" and that "any improper use could result in violation of Federal Law. Auditors are currently reviewing the use of these funds." Despite this warning, Favre continued to pressure Bryant for funding.

In October 2021, Favre received a letter from the Mississippi state auditor's office stating that "illegal expenditures and unlawful dispositions were made when you knew or had reason to know through the exercise of reasonable diligence that the expenditures were illegal and/or the dispositions were unlawful." Favre repaid the initial payments but owed $228,000 in interest. He missed the original deadline to pay the interest, and the case was turned over to the state attorney general's office.

In May 2022, the Mississippi Department of Human Services filed a lawsuit against 38 defendants, including Favre. On November 28, his attorney filed a motion to dismiss, arguing that there was no factual or legal basis to include Favre in the lawsuit. In December 2022, the Department dropped its demand of $1.1 million from Favre but added a new demand of up to $5 million against him and a university sports foundation.

In February 2023, Favre filed a defamation lawsuit against former NFL players and media personalities Pat McAfee and Shannon Sharpe, as well as Mississippi State Auditor Shad White. He withdrew the lawsuit against McAfee in May, but he continued the case against Sharpe and White.

In August 2023, a panel of three justices denied Favre's removal as a defendant in the civil lawsuit. He is currently one of 43 defendants in the lawsuit for unpaid interest on the $1.1 million he was given for speaking engagements that he did not attend.

Did Favre sexually harass a female employee?

In 2010, when Brett Favre was a member of the New York Jets, he allegedly made advances toward a female employee of the team. The advances included messages on Myspace, voicemails, and X-rated photos allegedly emailed or texted by Favre. The alleged victim never reported any harassment, and neither Favre nor the victim is currently employed by the Jets.

The case can be classified as co-worker harassment, and the Jets would only be liable if they knew or should have known about the harassment. There is no evidence that they did. It is also unclear whether the conduct, however distasteful, meets the relatively high standard for a hostile work environment. Some have questioned whether the conduct was unwelcome, and a better question may be whether the alleged victim found it subjectively offensive.

The conduct may or may not rise to the level of actionable harassment, and since the victim seems to have no interest in making a claim, it remains a hypothetical question. The conduct would almost certainly violate any well-written anti-harassment policy, but this is moot since Favre is no longer employed by the Jets.

As a preventative measure, the Jets and Favre's subsequent team, the Minnesota Vikings, may want to provide additional training or reissue their anti-harassment policies. The NFL is also making the right statements about an investigation and appropriate action, and given the recent troubles of other NFL quarterbacks, punishment is likely.

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