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Brett Favre rebukes criticism of alleged role in Mississippi welfare fraud scandal
NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre has denied knowing that funds paid to him and for a volleyball facility at the University of Southern Mississippi came from welfare funds.
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EXCLUSIVE: It has been months since the public has heard from Hall of Fame NFL quarterback Brett Favre regarding his alleged involvement in the Mississippi welfare fraud case that state auditors say funneled money to a new volleyball wellness center at the University of Southern Mississippi (USM).
The state of Mississippi is currently suing 38 people or companies in an attempt to claw back $24 million of the $77 million in federal welfare money, according to a report by Mississippi Today.
Favre, who helped in raising money for the USM facility, has denied knowing that a $5 million grant for the volleyball facility came from a Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) welfare fund through the Mississippi Community Education Center (MCEC), a non-profit operated by Nancy New.
According to documents obtained by Fox News, the $5 million was procured by MCEC via a Block Grant from the Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS) in October 2017.
"I have been unjustly smeared in the media," Favre said in a statement provided exclusively to Fox News Digital. "I have done nothing wrong, and it is past time to set the record straight.
"No one ever told me, and I did not know, that funds designated for welfare recipients were going to the University or me. I tried to help my alma mater USM, a public Mississippi state university, raise funds for a wellness center. My goal was and always will be to improve the athletic facilities at my university.
"State agencies provided the funds to Nancy New’s charity, the Mississippi Community Education Center, which then gave the funds to the University, all with the full knowledge and approval of other State agencies, including the State-wide Institute for Higher Learning, the Governor’s office and the Attorney General’s office.