The welfare funds scandal has been dragging Brett Favre's name in the mud over the past news cycle. The Super Bowl-winning quarterback had been involved with the misappropriation of millions in welfare funds in order to push for building a new volleyball facility for his alma mater, the University of Souther Mississippi.
One of the factors that at least worked in his favor was the fact that he supposedly did not know the source from which the state was drawing said funds. But the recent court filings seem to indicate otherwise. According to the latest report from ESPN's Anthony Olivieri, Favre's communication with then-governor Phil Bryant made mention of legal ramifications of “improper use” of the funds and included a warning should they press further.
Via Olivier of ESPN:
On July 28, 2019, Bryant texted Favre that the founder of a nonprofit who paid him “has some limited control over Federal Funds in the form of Grants for Children and adults in the Low Income Community.”
“Use of these funds [is] tightly controlled,” Bryant wrote, according to the filing. “Any improper use could result in violation of Federal Law. Auditors are currently reviewing the use of these funds.”
Despite this, Brett Favre still pressed further, urging his fellow Southern Mississippi alum to pull the right strings in order to make it happen with Bryant reneging to pursue any further risks with said funds.
“We obviously need your help big time and time is working against us,” Favre wrote. “And we feel that your name is the perfect choice for this facility and we are not taking No for an answer! You are a Southern Miss Alumni, and folks need to know you are also a supporter of the University.”
Bryant responded stating that he was “too old for Federal Prison” in immediate pushback to the above message.
Favre still has not been charged in Mississippi's massive welfare funds scandal, but his obliviousness to the bigger picture is apparently not as thorough as once thought.