Brett Favre apparently knew that the misuse of state welfare funds could be deemed illegal and proceeded to press state officials anyway in helping to pay for new athletic facilities at the University of Southern Mississippi, according to text messages sent to him by then-Gov. Phil Bryant in a court filing obtained by ESPN.
The NFL Hall of Famer has not been charged in the scandal and has said through his attorneys that he was unaware of where the funds came from. These texts seem to dispute his claims. In a text message on July 28, 2019, Bryant told Favre that the founder of a nonprofit has limited control of federal funds intended for children and adults in low-income communities.
“Use of these funds [is] tightly controlled,” Bryant wrote to Favre. “Any improper use could result in violation of Federal Law. Auditors are currently reviewing the use of these funds.”
It didn’t stop Favre from pushing for a volleyball facility for his alma mater, the 62-page filing alleges. Favre texted Bryant on Sept. 4, 2019, after a meeting seeking an extra $1.8 million at the new building.
Brett Favre throws a football to a fan during the American Family Insurance Championship at University Ridge Golf Club on June 11, 2022.Getty Images“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: “We are going to get there. This was a great meeting. But we have to follow the law. I am to[o] old for Federal Prison.”
Even after Bryant left office, Favre kept pushing him for help, according to the filing. On Jan. 27, 2020, Favre texted Bryant to keep pushing. Then-Southern Miss president Rodney Bennett texted Bryant he had told Favre “not to do the things he’s doing to seek funding from state agencies and the legislature.”
Former Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant speaks during a Donald Trump rally on Nov. 1, 2019.Getty Images“As you know, IHL [Mississippi’s higher education system] has a process of how we request and get approval for projects and what he’s doing is outside those guidelines,” Bennett wrote. “I will see, for the ‘umpteenth time’ if we can get him to stand down. The bottom line is he personally guaranteed the project, and on his word and handshake we proceeded. It’s time for him to pay up — it really is just that simple.”
Bryant responded: “Maybe he wants the state to pay off his promises. Like all of us I like Brett. He is a legend but he has to understand what a pledge means. I have tried many time[s] to explain that to him.”
At least $77 million in welfare funds were either misspent or stolen in a case of public fraud in Mississippi, and Favre is one of the defendants in a civil lawsuit.
