NFL Legend Brett Favre in Political Scandal in Mississippi for Using Welfare Funds Meant for the Poor to Build Volleyball Court
NFL legend Brett Favre is in hot water as he gets caught up in a political scandal involving former Mississippi Governor Phil Bryan, welfare funds, and a volleyball stadium.
Mississippi Today published text messages between the NFL Hall of Fame quarterback and former Republican Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant, which showed that the two participated in a scheme that used federal money meant for a state program to help poor children and families and use it to build a volleyball stadium.
Esquire magazine reported that the two conspired to use $5 million of $77 million in misappropriated federal welfare aid to build a volleyball arena for Favre's alma mater, the University of Southern Mississippi. Favre urged the use of the welfare funds for the arena, while Governor Bryant facilitated it.
What the Text Messages Between Brett Favre and Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant Say
The newly released texts, which came from an attorney representing Nancy New's nonprofit, showed that Bryant, Favre, New, Davis worked together to channel the funds into the volleyball stadium project by Favre, who received the most credit for raising funds to construct the facility.
Favre's daughter is playing volleyball for the school, and the NFL legend was initially praised for raising money to build the stadium.
The texts have shown that Bryant helped guide Favre on how to write a funding proposal so it can get approved by the Mississippi Department of Human Services. The governor then texted nonprofit founder Nancy New, one of the people caught up in the scandal, "Can we help him with his project? We should meet soon to see how I can make sure we keep your projects on course."
Favre was somehow concerned about how New, who was recently appointed as the welfare agency's new director, would affect their plans, and raised it with Bryant. However, the governor assured him that he will handle it. This is in reference to the ousted former welfare agency director John Davis, who was suspected of fraud. Davis was facilitating the deal before his ouster, and when New took over the position, she also helped in facilitating the deal.
New pleaded guilty to 13 felony counts in relation to the scheme, while Davis is awaiting trial. New is now aiding prosecutors as part of her plea agreement. Meanwhile, Governor Bryant has denied all allegations.
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Brett Favre's Biographer Says He Is a 'Bad Man'
While he had a stellar football career, winning Super Bowl rings and being inducted to the NFL Hall of Fame, Brett Favre's reputation has taken a dip as his career winded down.
In 2013, he settled out of court when two massage therapists accused him of sending inappropriate and unsolicited sexual text messages to them while still playing for the New York Jets in 2008. He was also accused of sending inappropriate photos to a Jets TV host and was fined $50,000 for failing to cooperate with the investigation.
This latest scandal has become so big, that the quarterback's own biographer is distancing himself away from him. According to Sports Illustrated, Jeff Pearlman, who authored "Gunslinger: The Remarkable, Improbable, Iconic Life of Brett Favre," is now begging people to not buy his book, The author stated that if he's being brutally honest, he admitted that Favre is a bad guy who does not deserve his icon treatment.
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Written by: Rick Martin
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