During his near-20-year football career, Brett Favre and the people around him always tried their damndest to present the legendary quarterback as the kind of guy who wore Wrangler jeans and drove an old-school pick-up with a mutt riding shotgun. Then he started playing golf with Donald Trump and endorsing him for re-election, and everything went to shit. (OK, he was also accused of being a dick pic-sending fiend in 2010, but even that story quickly died down.)
But it turns out that the Hall of Famer might not be as all-American as he has portrayed himself over the years. Unless the new definition of “patriotism” is committing welfare fraud — in order to build a volleyball arena, of all things.
Earlier this month, news first broke that Favre was at the center of an investigation into possible welfare fraud. According to reports, the athlete conspired with nonprofit founder Nancy New (who was arrested alongside her son Zach in early 2020 and pleaded guilty) and former Mississippi governor Phil Bryant to re-route at least $5 million of state funding earmarked for welfare recipients into the building of a new volleyball stadium at the University of Southern Mississippi, where Favre’s daughter attends college and plays the sport.
Now, Mississippi Today’s Anna Wolfe is reporting that recently reviewed text messages show Bryant coaching Favre on how to write a proposal that would get him funding from the Mississippi Department of Human Services in order to build the new facility. Messages between Favre and Nancy New, meanwhile, indicate that he was aware of the potential for blowback should the press ever discover where this money came from, and that he took precautions to insulate himself from any media scrutiny:
Brett Favre: Will the media find out that we’re using welfare funds intended to help the poorest residents of America’s poorest state to build a volleyball center?
Nancy New: Nah. Oh yeah, the governor is fully on board!@ayewolfe five years later: https://t.co/rWXHRXISsu pic.twitter.com/wo3QuIYXaY
— Adam Ganucheau (@GanucheauAdam) September 13, 2022
Bryant, meanwhile, has spent years denying these claims — even though he apparently floated the idea of having his name on this fancy-schmancy new volleyball Mecca.
While neither Bryant nor Favre have so far been charged with anything regarding the scheme, New pleaded guilty to 13 felony counts, so the walls are closing in.
When asked by Mississippi Today whether he had spoken with the governor about the new volleyball stadium in 2020, Favre responded with a simple “no.” Bud Holmes, Favre’s lawyer, has also staunchly denied it as well, stating that: “Brett Favre has been honorable throughout this whole thing.” (Alleged dick pics excluded.)
It’s also worth noting that Favre’s alleged net worth is $100 million.
(Via Mississippi Today)