Shad White, a Mississippi auditor, says that former NFL quarterback Brett Favre must repay all the misspent welfare funds, including interest.
Thus the legal saga over the money that was earmarked “to help some of the poorest people in one of the poorest states in that nation,” continues.
Favre became embroiled in this scandal after the ex-Green Bay Packer player “improperly received $1.1 million in speaking fees from a nonprofit organization that spent welfare with approval from the Mississippi Department of Human Services,” (DHS). The money was from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program.
Per Sports Illustrated, as part of his fundraiser leadership responsibilities, Favre “directed welfare-designated funds to go toward a volleyball court for his alma mater, the University of Southern Mississippi, where his daughter played volleyball.”
White is demanding that Favre pay almost $730,000. As you may recall, Favre has already paid back $1.1 million, with one payment $500,000 to the state back in May 2020, and then another $6000,000 the following year in October. But, per the new court filing, Favre “still owes $729,790 because interest caused growth in the original amount he owed.”
On Monday, White’s attorneys wrote “Favre had no legal right to the possession or control of this $1.1 Million,” in a court filing.
“It boggles the mind that Mr. Favre could imagine he is entitled to the equivalent of an interest-free loan of $1.1 million in taxpayer money, especially money intended for the benefit of the poor,” said White in a statement.
In 2023, Favre filed two defamation lawsuits against White and sports commentators Pat McAfee and Shannon Sharpe. After McAfee made a public apology, the suit was dropped and Sharpe’s was dismissed last October. However, the suit “against White is still pending, and White’s filing this week served as a counterclaim in that suit.”
Between 2016 and 2019, prosecutors say that millions of federal welfare dollars that were supposed to help low-income residents of Mississippi were instead frivolously spent “on projects supported by wealthy or well-connected people.”
DHS filed a lawsuit in 2022, alleging improper spending of TANF funds, “including on projects Favre supported: $5 million for the volleyball arena and $1.7 million toward development of a concussion treatment drug.”
As of yet, criminal charges have not been levied against Favre, but a former director of the department and others have pled guilty over “their part in the misspending.”