Favre Enterprises Questioned in Mississippi Welfare Audit
GREEN BAY, Wis. – Brett Favre’s company, Favre Enterprises, was paid more than $1 million for the Hall of Fame quarterback to give speeches he never delivered, according to an audit by the Mississippi Department of Human Services.
Results from the annual audit, which were released on Monday, show how $94 million in federal welfare grant funds – money meant to help the poor – went from the state’s DHS to two nonprofits that spent that money suspiciously. In this case, $1.1 million went from Mississippi Community Education Center to Favre Enterprises.
“If there was a way to misspend money, it seems DHS leadership or their grantees thought of it and tried it,” auditor Shad White said.
The audit labeled the payments to Favre Enterprises as “questioned costs,” meaning auditors either saw “clear misspending” or could not verify the money had been lawfully spent.
Favre faces no criminal charges. However, the audit recommends, “the Mississippi Department of Human Services take swift and immediate action” by pursuing “any legal remedies available against those that have contributed to the widespread fraud, waste and abuse detailed in this report.”
In an e-mail asking for clarification on whether Favre could be charged, a spokesman for the Mississippi Office of the State Auditor told Packer Central: "Subgrantee money recipients like Favre Enterprises could POTENTIALLY be liable for the funds they obtained, but that decision would be made in court or by the United States Department of Health and Human Services." However, because it's unlikely recipients such as Favre were aware the money came from the state's welfare program, charges are highly unlikely.
Favre Enterprises was contracted to appear at several events, record promotions, and provide autographs for marketing materials from July 1, 2017 through July 31, 2018. Additional contract information provided that the contract fee would be paid in installments and would include three (3) speaking engagements, one (1) radio spot and one (1) keynote address. There was no mention of the contract price in the contract supplied to auditors. When auditors requested further details on the performance of the contract, specifically the dates of any speaking engagements, MCEC provided a list of dates and events that fulfilled the contract terms; however, upon a cursory review of those dates, auditors were able to determine that the individual contracted did not speak nor was he present for those events. Two payments were made to Favre Enterprises – one for $500,000 in December 2017 and one for $600,000 in June 2018.
Due to the inability to verify that any work was performed in order to fulfill the contract, and due to the unreasonable amount paid, the entire payment of $1,100,000 paid in FY 2018 is questioned.
The Clarion Ledger, Associated Press and Packer Central sent messages to Favre and/or Favre’s agent, Bus Cook, for comment, but those requests were not immediately returned.
