Exclusive: It’s been months since the public heard that Hall of Fame NFL quarterback Brett Favre was allegedly involved in a Mississippi welfare fraud case. State auditors say the University of Southern Mississippi’s (USM) new volleyball he has poured money into a wellness center.
The state of Mississippi is currently suing 38 people or companies to get back $24 million out of $77 million in federal welfare funds, according to a Mississippi Today report.
Favre, who helped fund the USM facility, received a $5 million grant for the volleyball facility from the Temporary Welfare Fund for Families in Need (TANF) through the Mississippi Community Education Center (MCEC) Denied knowing it was done. Profit operated by Nancy New.
The $5 million was raised by MCEC in October 2017 through a block grant from the Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS), according to documents obtained by Fox News.
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“I have been unfairly stigmatized in the media,” Favre said in a statement provided exclusively to Fox News Digital. It’s passed.
“Nobody told me, nor did I know, that the funds designated for welfare beneficiaries would be sent to the university or to me. My goal is to improve the athletic facilities at my university. was.
“State agencies fund Nancy New’s charitable foundation, the Mississippi Community Education Center, which draws on the full knowledge and approval of other state agencies, including the Statewide Institute of Higher Education. and funded the college office and the Attorney General’s Office.
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“The legal work to allow these funds to be accepted by the university was said to have been done by state attorneys and state officials.”
State Comptroller Shad White, who was the first auditor to uncover improper spending and fraud, told Fox News that the grant was approved by AG’s firm’s attorneys, but for “a number of reasons.” “My analysis was wrong,” he said.
“The volleyball court had to be used to benefit the needy in Hattiesburg,” White said. “And fast forward to today, what we now know is that volleyball courts are not being used to benefit the needy. And for those reasons, it doesn’t. It doesn’t matter if your attorney agrees to this. It’s our job at the audit firm to point it out when we see it.
TANF funding is also not allowed for “brick and mortar” construction projects.
There have already been multiple guilty pleas in the case, including MDHS official John Davis, who pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud Mississippi in September.
White told Fox News that there were no documents to indicate that Ferb knew the funds were from the TANF Foundation, but White said the funds were “intended to help the poor.” Ferb said he knew it was from an agency that handles “programs that
“Based primarily on documents that have surfaced publicly through the filing of a civil suit, we see text messages indicating that Mr Fabre knew the money being paid was coming from the person responsible for John Davis. from the Mississippi Department of Human Services and nonprofits that have received funding from DHS,” White told Fox News Digital. “So he knows it’s basically government money, and he knows that the money is coming from the Department of Human Services.”
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“Whether or not Fabre knew this money was coming from temporary aid for families in need, there are currently no public documents to suggest that,” White said. “There are no documents to suggest that he knew the exact laws and regulations regarding TANF funding. I also knew it was from, and of course, that agency is responsible for dealing with programs aimed at helping the poor.”
The crux of Fabre’s involvement was the $1.1 million he received for funding, which Fabre reportedly donated to the university to help build a volleyball center.
“After I found out that the money paid for the fundraising radio spot was from the Federal Welfare Fund, I gave it all back,” Favre’s statement to Fox News Digital continued.
Favre has returned $1.1 million, but has yet to pay interest, and the state is suing him.
“The second piece of information from the audit that came out relating to Mr. Ferb was that he was paid $1.1 million,” White told Fox News. Did you receive $1.1 million in welfare benefits?’ The nonprofit gave us a contract – what they called a contract – Mr. Ferb said in a keynote and some I was supposed to give speeches, cut radio ads, and do a few other things.
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“Further investigation found that he did not make any of these speeches and that he had no valid justification for being paid $1.1 million under TANF regulations (regulations) and law. At this point he had paid back $1.1 million in principal, but whenever we had to ask for a refund, according to the law, we would always pay interest. That $1.1 million is why the state is suing him now, and DHS is suing him as an agency, along with many others to try and get that money back.”
However, Ferb’s attorney, Eric Hirschman, told Fox News Digital that Ferb was never asked to appear at a speech event. We recorded commercials and never “didn’t show” a speaking event.
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“Brett got paid to do every radio spot that was requested,” Hershman told Fox News. Those who claim otherwise don’t know the real facts.”
When asked if Ferb made an appearance with the speech, White said Ferb didn’t.
Recently recently revealed text messages In an investigation conducted between Favre and New, he pleaded guilty to four counts of bribing a public official, two counts of fraud against the government, and six counts of wire fraud, but recorded commercials to give USM more money. is shown to have been Favre’s idea. For over budget facilities.
In a text message, Fabre asks New if the public can find out where the money came from.
“If you pay me, are you there anyway so the media can find out where it came from and how much?” Favre asked New in an October 2017 text message. I was.
Brett Favre ‘kept press’ for state funds he knew could be illegal: report
“No, we never released that information,” New replied. “I understand your trepidation about it. Let’s see what happens in conversations with some people in Southern on Monday. Maybe it works out with them. Hopefully .”
A message between New and Favre raises renewed interest in Favre’s involvement, as he appears to be interested in the source of the money that was due to be paid to him.
“Text messages of this sort suggest that he didn’t want the information out,” White told Fox News Digital. There are also text messages indicating that information has been passed on to him that he would be nervous about the money flowing to.”
But Hirschman told Fox News that Ferb was concerned the media learned he was being paid by the nonprofit. I’m from welfare.
“Brett got a private contract to record a promotional pitch for a nonprofit,” Hirschman said. “Like most celebrities, he didn’t want his source of income to be made public. That’s why he asked to make it public.”
“He didn’t know the payment was from TANF. Even if he had known, he wouldn’t have received the money.”
Favre has not faced criminal charges.