The FBI has questioned NFL Hall of Famer Brett Favre for his alleged involvement in a massive $70 million welfare fraud scheme in Mississippi. Favre was reportedly paid $1.1 million for speeches he never gave and also attempted to secure millions of dollars for the college his daughter was attending and millions more for a company he invested in.
The money came from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) fund. Other notable payments were allegedly made to 1980s professional wrestling legend Ted DiBiase, also known as “The Million Dollar Man,” and his two sons, along with other former collegiate athletes from the state. The payments were made in 2017 and 2018.
Favre has not been charged in the case but is being sued by the state of Mississippi. Favre has returned the $1.1 million he was given for speeches, but the state alleges that he owes an additional $228,000 in interest.
The lawsuit was filed shortly after Nancy New and her son Zachary New pleaded guilty to criminal charges related to the fraud and agreed to testify against others who misspent TNAF funds.
State auditor Shad White, who first discovered the fraud, called it the biggest corruption case in Mississippi in two decades. Defendants in the case have stated that the payments to Favre came at the behest of former Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant. Bryant has denied knowing that the money came from TNAF.
The current Governor Tate Reeves, who like Bryant is a Republican, admitted that he was involved in the firing of Brad Pigott, the lawyer who had been tapped to recoup the misspent funds, shortly after Pigott issued a subpoena seeking more information about Bryant and Favre’s role in the scheme. Reeves accused Pigott, who is a Democrat, of being politically motivated. White, who uncovered the scheme, is a Republican.
Favre’s lawyer, Budd Holmes, admitted that the former quarterback spoke with the FBI, something that was not previously known. He contends Favre did nothing wrong and did not know the payments came from funds meant to help the needy.
Last year, when the accusations first became public, Favre defended himself on Twitter, stating that he thought the money was for commercials he did over a three-year period. He also noted that he paid taxes on the money.
“Of course the money was returned because I would never knowingly take funds meant to help our neighbors in need, but for Shad White to continue to push out this lie that the money was for no-show events is something I cannot stay silent about.”
However, White contends that the contract that gave Favre the funds stated that he would have to provide three speeches, including one radio spot and one keynote speech. White further alleges that Farve acknowledged the speeches to his agents.
Favre also allegedly tried to secure a $5 million award for the University of Southern Mississippi to build a volleyball arena. Favre is in the Southern Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and his daughter Breleigh Farve was playing for the college’s women’s volleyball team at the time.
In addition, Favre reportedly also tried to secure a $3.2 million grant for a drug company in which he is the largest outside stakeholder.
“The notion of tens of millions of dollars that was intended by the country to go to the alleviation of poverty — and to see it going toward very different purposes — was appalling to many of us,” Pigott told NBC News in his first public comments since his firing. “Mr. Favre was a very great quarterback, but having been a great NFL quarterback, he is not well acquainted with poverty.”