Texts: Ex-gov. helped Favre abuse welfare funds

An investigative report by Mississippi At this time revealed Tuesday that former Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant helped former NFL quarterback Brett Favre receive welfare funds so as to assist construct a brand new volleyball heart on the College of Southern Mississippi.

The information group reviewed textual content messages from 2017 and 2019 that have been filed Monday within the state of Mississippi’s civil lawsuit over misspent welfare funds. The texts have been filed by an lawyer representing Nancy New, who has already pleaded responsible to 13 felony counts of bribery, fraud and racketeering for her function within the welfare scheme. New was the founding father of the Mississippi Group Training Middle, which was tasked with spending tens of tens of millions in federal welfare funds to assist the state.

State auditors decided nonprofit leaders misspent at the very least $77 million in welfare funds within the largest case of public fraud in Mississippi historical past.

The texts present Favre, New and Bryant discussing the best way to divert at the very least $5 million in welfare funds to construct a volleyball stadium at Southern Miss. Favre performed soccer at Southern Miss, and his daughter was a volleyball participant there on the time a few of the texts have been despatched.

“In case you have been to pay me is there anyway the media can discover out the place it got here from and the way a lot?” Favre requested New in 2017.

After telling Favre that “we by no means have that info publicized,” she circled again to him the following day.

“Wow, simply obtained off the telephone with Phil Bryant! He’s on board with us! We’ll get this performed!” New informed Favre.

In one other textual content despatched in July 2019, Bryant informed New he had simply completed assembly with Favre and requested her if they may assist him together with his venture.

Favre’s lawyer, Bud Holmes, denied to Mississippi At this time that the previous quarterback knew he acquired welfare funds.

“Brett Favre has been honorable all through this entire factor,” Holmes informed the information group.

Favre had informed the outlet in 2020 that he had not mentioned the volleyball stadium venture with Bryant.

Bryant, who left workplace in January 2020, has lengthy denied serving to direct welfare funds to the stadium venture, and he didn’t tackle the texts in an announcement to Mississippi At this time that accused New’s protection staff of being “extra involved with pretrial publicity than they’re with civil justice.”

Mississippi At this time reported that the volleyball stadium will not be a part of the state’s civil lawsuit. Favre and Bryant haven’t been criminally charged.

Final yr, Favre paid again $600,000 to the state of Mississippi, an quantity he had been paid for speeches he by no means gave. Favre was commissioned in 2017 and 2018 to advertise a state poverty-fighting initiative, receiving $1.1 million. The state auditor’s workplace reported that he initially gave again $500,000 of the quantity, however earlier this month, Favre was requested in a letter to repay the rest plus curiosity.

Then, in Could, the Mississippi Division of Human Companies filed a civil lawsuit towards Favre as a result of he had not paid again curiosity on the $1.1 million that amounted to $228,000.

In line with the textual content messages within the submitting obtained by Mississippi At this time, the $1.1 million take care of the state was one other technique of funding the volleyball stadium venture.

Reuters contributed to this report.