New Report Reveals Brett Favre as ‘Driving Force’ Behind Mississippi Welfare Scandal

New texts revealed in a Sports Illustrated report paint legendary quarterback Brett Favre as the “driving force” behind the scandal in which millions of dollars in Mississippi welfare funding were misused.

In April 2017, Favre reached out to former Gov. Phil Bryant after Favre and his wife promised the University of Southern Mississippi he’d pay for a new volleyball facility.

“Hey governor this (is) Brett Favre,” that text read. “Deanna and I are building a volleyball facility on campus and I need your influence somehow to get donations and or sponsorships. Obviously Southern has no money so I’m hustling to get it raised.”

The governor was on board.

“Of course I am all in on the Volleyball facility,” Bryant said. “Y’all have fun and next week come see me. We will have that thing built before you know it. One thing I know how to do is raise money.”

According to the report, Bryant subcontracted the state’s welfare distribution in 2012. Nancy New — executive director of the Mississippi Community Education Center and a USM alumnus — and organizer Christi Webb were responsible for distributing 40% of the funding to a range of programs. New, who also opened a number of private schools, began funneling money to her own programs.

Shortly after Favre reached out to the governor, welfare director John Davis instructed New and Christi to use some of that funding for the volleyball facility.

Just a few months later in July, Favre met with Davis, New, and a number of other individuals when Davis promised $4 million for the construction of the facility. Bryant claims he had no knowledge of this meeting, but the governor not knowing about a several-million-dollar expenditure has been disputed.

In order to secure the funding upfront, Favre offered to do “promotional work,” with compensation going to straight to the university. He signed a deal to record a radio spot, deliver a keynote address, and give four speeches for $1.1 million. While he did the radio spot, he did not do the speeches.

Favre claimed his agent regularly sends him offers for various products and brands and denied any connection to the scandal, but his texts to New told a different story.

“I want to help you and was thinking a PSA is one option,” Favre said.

Over the next few years, Favre continually pressed New and the governor for funding as the budget for the facility began to balloon. He even took it a step further when he asked Bryant for money to invest in Prevacus, a medical company developing a concussion drug. Favre was its largest outside investor, and the company offered stock in exchange for the governor’s financial support.

“Brett Favre’s repeated demands for this grant money were certainly the driving force,” said former U.S. Attorney Brad Pigott, who was hired to independently investigate the scandal.

Favre also urged them to secure funding for the facility to help the university recruit college quarterback Shedeur Sanders — son of NFL legend Deion Sanders.

“Governor this Friday Deion Sanders and his son are coming for a recruiting visit,” Favre said in a text. “He is a QB and could be best in country. I already with Nancy started talking about a indoor facility but I think we have got to get one to stay up with everyone else. But it won’t happen anytime soon if you and Nancy can’t help. I would like to tell him we are about to start building in the next year and half.”

In total, Favre’s projects totaled $8.3 million.

The scheme began to unravel when during a routine audit, it was discovered that paychecks for former wrestler Brett DiBiase were going to a P.O. box belonging to Davis. DiBiase, a friend of Davis, was hired by New and Webb as his “director of transformational change” and put on a $250,000 salary. This information was sent to Bryant, and he blew the whistle on the scheme in an effort to cover his own tracks.

Davis, Webb, New, and DiBiase all took plea deals. Davis was sentenced to 32 years in prison — though that’s expected to be reduced “significantly” — while the others are still awaiting sentenced. Bryant, Favre, and Prevacus CEO Jake VanLandingham have yet to be indicted.