An easy payday for retired NFL star Brett Favre: $1m from the state of Mississippi for speeches he'd never have to deliver. The money came from the welfare system, taken from the neediest residents of America's poorest state. When the mystery gift was uncovered, Favre was interviewed by the Feds and gave the money back. Mississippi officials say they didn't realize it was welfare money—as if that was the only problem with funnelling public money to rich, powerful insider celebrities.
Favre hasn't been accused of a crime or charged, and he declined an interview. His lawyer, Bud Holmes, said he did nothing wrong and never understood he was paid with money intended to help poor children. Holmes acknowledged that the FBI had questioned Favre in the case, a fact that hasn't previously been reported.
The saga, which has been boiling at low grade for 2½ years, drew new attention in July, when the state welfare agency fired a lawyer who had been hired to claw back some of the money, just after he issued a subpoena seeking more information about the roles of Favre and the former governor, Phil Bryant, a Republican. The current governor, Republican Tate Reeves, acknowledged playing a role in the decision to sack Brad Pigott, accusing the Bill Clinton-appointed former U.S. attorney of having a political agenda. But the state official who first uncovered the misspending and fraud, auditor Shad White, is a Republican.
The capital of this state currently has no running water—after Mississippi received $75m last year to fix the problem.
"Don't know if legal or not but we need cut him in," Favre texted a company official in November 2018, referring to [Mississippi governor] Bryant. Following up three days later, Favre wrote, "Also if legal I'll give some of my shares to the Governor."
Filthy as dogshit.
