A text exchange between NFL Hall of Famer Brett Favre and the head of a Mississippi non-profit who has pleaded guilty to 13 federal charges in a multimillion-dollar welfare fraud scheme seems to implicate the legendary QB in an effort to use some of the funds for a college volleyball stadium.
A report by Mississippi Today published Tuesday cited texts between Favre and Nancy New, the founder of the Mississippi Community Education Center, which had been tasked by the state to spend millions in welfare funds, indicating that former Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant was on board with a plan to divert $5 million from the welfare funding to build a new volleyball stadium at Southern Mississippi.
Favre is a Southern Miss alum, and his daughter was playing volleyball at the school at the time of the text exchange, which dates to 2017.
In the texts, filed Monday in the State of Mississippi’s civil case over the misspent welfare funds, Favre was focused on making sure the news media wouldn’t find out the source of the money.
“If you were to pay me is there anyway the media can find out where it came from and how much?” Favre asked New, who replied, “No we never have that information publicized. I understand you being uneasy about that though.”
The next day, New texted: “Wow, just got off the phone with Phil Bryant! He is on board with us! We will get this done!”
Favre was paid a total of $1.1 million in 2017 and 2018 ostensibly to promote a state poverty-fighting initiative. He has paid back that amount to the state, but the Mississippi Department of Human Services filed a civil lawsuit against Favre in May because he had not paid back interest on the $1.1 million that amounted to $228,000.
According to the reporting from Mississippi Today, the $1.1 million deal with the state was another means of funding the volleyball stadium project.
Favre’s attorney, Bud Holmes, denied to Mississippi Today that Favre knew he had received welfare funds.
“Brett Favre has been honorable throughout this whole thing,” Holmes said.
Favre had told Mississippi Today in 2020 that he had not discussed the volleyball stadium project with Bryant.
Bryant has denied helping direct welfare funds to the stadium project, which is not part of the state’s civil lawsuit.
Neither Favre nor Bryant have been criminally charged.
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Chris Graham
