Favre Calls Welfare Audit Controversy ‘Ridiculous’

Brett Favre explained his side of the story on the “Wilde and Tausch” radio program.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Brett Favre was as surprised as anyone when news broke that a Mississippi state audit had determined the Hall of Fame quarterback had pocketed $1.1 million in welfare money for speeches he allegedly never delivered.

“I think it was Monday or Tuesday, I was absolutely just shocked or surprised, whatever you want to call it,” Favre said on Friday on the “Wilde and Tausch” radio program on ESPN Wisconsin. “Bus (Cook; Favre’s longtime agent) had sent me a text, and he was totally unaware of it, too. So he was basically poking fun, ‘You can’t escape the news, I guess.’ So I read the little excerpt and I was like, ‘You have got to be kidding me.’ By that time, the media had caught onto it and everyone had formed an opinion. The next day, we were in discussions with the state auditor and other high-ranking officials.”

On Wednesday, Mississippi auditor Shad White announced Favre had repaid $500,000 and would return the rest over the next few months.

Favre said White was “wrong in his words” and that he performed the duties in question. Favre was paid by the Mississippi Community Education Center, a nonprofit that had received the money from Mississippi’s Department of Human Services. Favre said he never asked MCEC where it got the money.

“I don’t know what else to say, it’s just ridiculous,” Favre said. “What I really wish would have taken place, because it’s a sad world we’re living in now where everything is driven by media. And you don’t know what to believe anymore. And generally, when something bad is said about someone, that’s really the last and first thing you remember when that name is brought up again. I think we can all agree, right or wrong, (that) bad news sells and good news gets pushed to the bottom. And this is no pity party. This ain’t my first rodeo.

“But I in no way did anything wrong and wouldn’t do anything wrong or would take any money (this way). First of all, I’ve never no-showed anyone as far as speaking engagements or commercials or anything of that nature. That’s ridiculous. And what I would have liked for the tax auditor to do – I don’t know him – would have been for him to contact us and talk about it and express what he had (in terms of) the documents from his investigation. ‘This is what we have.’ Rather than broadcast it everywhere and not give me a chance to get my side of the story (out). Which, there is no side. I did ads that ran for three years, was paid for it, no different than any other time I’ve done endorsements for other people, and went on my way. So for him to say I took $1.1 million and didn’t show up for speaking engagements is absolutely, 100 percent not true.”