What connects horses, volleyball, and a former WWE wrestler? And why
is Brett Favre in the hot seat for it all? Keep watching to find out
the real reason the FBI had some words with the football legend.
NFL legend Brett Favre is being accused of having his hand stuck in the cookie jar, and many fans
are calling foul. The quarterback, who spent his career-defining years with the Green Bay Packers,
is widely lauded as one of the best in the game. Not only did he set the record for the
longest consecutive starting streak in NFL history, but in 1997 he masterfully led his
team to their first Super Bowl victory in 29 years. According to Sportskeeda,
the athlete earned nearly $140 million throughout his decades-spanning career,
not to mention the millions of dollars he earned by endorsing brands like Nike and Wrangler jeans.
Now, the famed athlete is back in the headlines, but this time it has nothing
to do with his innate ability to toss the pigskin. Favre recently sat down with the
FBI to discuss his role in a scandal that's been slow-burning for the last two years,
and accusations leveled against the former NFL star threaten to soil his legacy for good.
According to a report by NBC News, the reason for Brett Favre's recent huddle with the FBI has to do
with his alleged involvement in a Mississippi welfare scandal. According to the outlet,
the retired quarterback allegedly received $1.1 million from the state of Mississippi
to deliver motivational speeches in 2017 and 2018 — and while it's not uncommon
for retired athletes to earn a tidy sum for their speaking engagements, Favre is accused
of keeping the cash without upholding his end of the bargain. To make matters worse,
it appears that the funds used to pay Favre were derived from the Temporary Assistance
for Needy Families program, a federal assistance program designed to help families in need achieve
self-sufficiency. When Favre failed to deliver his motivational speeches, the Mississippi
state auditor demanded the funds back along with $228,000 in interest. He obliged — although he
declined to dish out cash to cover the interest that the auditor had asked for.
The investigation into Favre is part of a broader scandal alleging that $70 million
worth of TANF welfare funds were inappropriately doled out to those who didn't need the cash,
including former WWE wrestler Ted DiBiase Jr., a horse farm, and even a volleyball complex.
An attorney for Brett Favre confirmed to NBC News that his client was grilled by the FBI,
but insisted that the athlete had done, quote, "nothing wrong." The attorney claimed that the
quarterback was unaware that his compensation came from "money intended to help poor children."
As things currently stand, Favre hasn't been accused of any criminal wrongdoing.
The star quarterback took to Twitter in 2021 to clarify his side of the story. He wrote.
"As I have said before, I would never accept money for no-show appearances,
as the state of Mississippi auditor, @ShadWhite, claims."
In a follow-up tweet, the former NFL star assured fans that he is,
quote, "doing all that I can to support this investigation to make things right
for the people of Mississippi," and that he rightfully received payment for three years'
worth of commercials — which he maintains that he provided — despite allegations to the contrary.
The three-time MVP then accused Mississippi state
auditor Shad White of being deceptive about the case and refusing to return his calls.
"Of course the money was returned because I would never knowingly take funds meant
to help our neighbors in need, but for Shad White to continue to push out this
lie that the money was for no-show events is something I cannot stay silent about.
Despite all efforts to seek clarification with the auditor, he has never granted a
call back or a meeting with me, but has instead only repeatedly run to the media."
Whether Brett Favre is guilty of any malicious intent or not will be decided
by the proper authorities, but he's already losing ground in the court of public opinion.
Many fans took to social media, where they were upset not only that the athlete received funds
reserved for struggling families, but that the poorest state in the country would have the
audacity to spend $1.1 million on motivational speeches to begin with. One Twitter user wrote,
"Jackson, Mississippi — the largest city in the poorest state in America whose population
is 82% black has no clean water to drink. The state not only neglects the community
but gave $70 million in welfare funds to Brett Favre for speeches he never made."
…while another took to the platform to offer a scathing rebuke of the former NFL player:
"The biggest welfare cheat in history is white and male and his name is Brett Favre."
When it was pointed out that the head of the state's welfare agency "squandered" the funds
on motivational speeches and "first class flights," many social media users called
for legal action to be taken against all parties involved. One user suggested,
"This. Is. All. Illegal. Prosecute."
…while another pointed out that the state, quote,
"rejects more than 90% of those who apply for welfare assistance."