Hall of Fame Green Bay Packers Quarterback Brett Favre is under investigation for alleged illegal directing welfare payments to himself, the University of Southern Mississippi, and pharmaceutical company Prevacus of which he is a shareholder.
Texts discovered in a related investigation linked Favre to a government worker who was charged for misusing federal welfare funds. Favre’s link to misused federal funds began in 2016 when the nonprofit Mississippi Community Education Center directed 5 million dollars towards the creation of a new volleyball court for University of Southern Mississippi. Consequently, Favre is an alumni of Southern Mississippi University, and his daughter currently plays for the school’s volleyball team.
In addition, Prevacus, a pharmaceutical company conducting concussion research, who Favre is a shareholder of, received 2.15 million dollars in federal funding. Text messages revealed Favre and the Prevacus founder, Jake Vanlandingham, offered to buy the nonprofit director, Nancy New, a new F-150 Raptor as compensation for directing funds to Prevacus. In addition, the same text messages reveal that Favre asked for one million dollars personally to cover debts owed to the University of Southern Mississippi for a volleyball court he promised the school.
Favre first gained fame in his home state, Mississippi for his country boy attitude and gunslinger persona on the field. Once the pride of many Mississippians, he now finds himself under scrutiny for the ethics of his actions and the effects of his actions on the rest of Mississippi’s citizens. While he has not been charged with any crime as of this issue, Favre stated he “love[s] Mississippi and I would never knowingly do anything to take away from those that need it most.”