“Welfare Queen,” retired NFL player Brett Favre has broken his silence and is uncovering the facts surrounding the $5 million scandal that has affected the state of Mississippi. In a recent statement from Fox Newsthe former ballista claims that he was “unfairly defamed in the media”.
“I did nothing wrong and it’s time to set the record straight,” he said. “Nobody ever told me, and I didn’t know, that the funds meant for welfare recipients were going to the university or to me. I tried to help my alma mater USM, Mississippi State University, raise funds for a wellness center. My goal has been and always will be to improve the sports facilities at the university.”
Brett went on to explain, “State agencies gave the funds to Nancy New’s charity, the Mississippi Community Education Center, which then gave the funds to the university, all with the full knowledge and approval of other state agencies, including the State Institute of Higher Education, the Governor’s Office, and the Attorney General’s Office. “Furthermore, he claimed, he was told that the legal work to ensure that the funds could be accepted by the university was done by state attorneys and civil servants.
While it may seem like Brett is the only one being targeted in this drama, that’s not the case. The report said the state of Mississippi is suing 38 people or companies to recover $24 million of the $77 million in federal aid. As we previously reported, Brett and others were allegedly funneling money to a new volleyball wellness center at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM). The $5 million was received by MCEC through a Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS) block grant in October 2017.
CNN also reports that former Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant has also faced legal challenges. He has been subpoenaed again amid an ongoing civil lawsuit in the welfare fraud scandal, as attorneys this time want to see communications between the ex-governor and former NFL quarterback and Hall of Famer Brett Favre.