The Mississippi fraud and embezzlement scheme, in which $77 million was funneled away from a program for needy families into other ventures, is the biggest public fraud case in the state’s history.
Celebrated former Packers quarterback — and Mississippi native — Brett Favre has not been charged with a crime, but he’s a prominent player in the story.
The saga includes former Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant, who also hasn’t been criminally charged. Text messages unearthed earlier this week cast doubt on the idea that Bryant and Favre were unaware of the illegality involved in some of their maneuvers.
The scandal centers around federal money from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families fund, distributed as block grants to each of the 50 states. It potentially dates back to 2016, when Human Services executive John Davis began directing multimillion-dollar lump sum payments to the Mississippi Community Education Center, a nonprofit that theoretically would then determine how the TANF money could be used. Davis did not make director Nancy New report how she spent the money.
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Davis and New have both been arrested for their involvement in what follows. Favre and his legal representative have denied wrongdoing.
Most of this timeline relies on reporting from Anna Wolfe of Mississippi Today and the outlet’s special report “The Backchannel.”
July 2017: Favre first meets with officials about funding volleyball facility for Southern Mississippi
Brett Favre, interested in helping to fund a new volleyball facility for his alma mater at the University of Southern Mississippi, first asks for funding from the Mississippi Department of Human Services during a meeting on campus. Favre’s daughter, Breleigh, ultimately played both indoor and beach volleyball at the school.
Among those in attendance were members of the USM athletics staff, DHS director John Davis and Nancy New, the executive for nonprofit organization Mississippi Community Education Center.
