SI Investigation: Favre Was ‘Driving Force’ Behind Welfare Scandal
GREEN BAY, Wis. – Before becoming an iconic quarterback for the Green Bay Packers, Brett Favre was the star quarterback at Southern Mississippi. With his daughter playing volleyball at the university, Favre promised he’d build a volleyball facility.
He just didn’t want to pay for it. Instead, in a scheme that involved the governor, he allegedly was given more than $8 million of welfare money – taking money from the state’s poorest people in the process.
“Brett Favre’s repeated demands for this grant money were certainly the driving force” for millions of dollars in illegal transactions, former U.S. Attorney Brad Pigott, who had been investigating the scandal until he was fired by Gov. Tate Reeves, told Sports Illustrated in an in-depth investigative story by Michael Rosenberg.
Then-Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant “worked relentlessly” to help Favre with “our cause,” SI found out in its investigation.
Three years after the scheme began to unravel, Favre faces the potential of being indicted for his alleged role.
It all started in April 2017, when Favre texted Bryant.
The message? He and his wife, Deanna, “are building a volleyball facility on campus and I need your influence somehow to get donations and or sponsorships. Obviously Southern has no money so I’m hustling to get it raised.”
Bryant promised to help.
“One thing I know how to do is raise money,” he replied.
Ultimately, Favre secured $4 million from the state’s welfare fund to build the facility. Then, he agreed to earn $1.1 million to record a 30-second public service announcement and four speeches. There is no evidence Favre delivered any of the speeches but got the money, anyway.
In one text, Favre said: “Santa came today and dropped some money off.”
All that money still wasn’t enough to get the project completed, so Favre reached out to Bryant. Maybe the “prison industry” could build the lockers, Favre thought.
Better than that, welfare money was shuttled to Prevacus, a company that was trying to develop a drug for use in concussions. Favre was a major investor in the company.
Even as the scheme slowly started to fall apart, Favre ratcheted up the pressure to get additional money.
On Feb. 6, 2020, Favre texted Bryant: “Governor have you spoken to Tate? He said he was gonna get with his team and figure something out.”
Bryant responded by sending Favre a link to a story headlined, “Largest public embezzlement scheme in Mississippi history uncovered.”
State auditor Shad White was tipped off by a whistleblower. That whistleblower? Bryant. In all, White “questioned” $94 million in welfare spending. Of that, $8.3 million went to Favre – the largest beneficiary.
Favre’s volleyball facility opened in time for the 2020 season. For his part, Favre said he has been “unjustly smeared” by the media and had “done nothing wrong.” His defense has been that he was not aware he was receiving welfare money. The Department of Justice would not say if he is under investigation.
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