Retired NFL quarterback Brett Favre has been getting torched in the media as reports of his alleged grifting have come to light. This week, he finally broke his silence, but I don’t suspect the remarks will help his cause.
First, a quick reminder: Favre is at the center of a massive welfare scandal in Mississippi, in which millions in federal tax dollars set aside for poor families instead went to associates of former Gov. Phil Bryant and fellow members of the Republican’s administration. Favre allegedly sought and obtained millions of dollars from the state welfare program, some of which was used to build a volleyball facility at the University of Southern Mississippi, where his daughter played the sport.
The Hall of Famer also received more than $1 million for motivational speeches he never gave. He has since returned that money.
Through spokespeople, Favre has repeatedly denied knowingly taking money he shouldn’t have been given. But evidence revealed in court filings muddle the story.
In a text to someone connected with the fund who has since pleaded guilty to bribery and fraud, Favre asked: “If you were to pay me is there anyway the media can find out where it came from and how much?” (The answer is yes.)
In another exchange, Favre texted then-Gov. Bryant about funding the volleyball facility: “We are not taking No for an answer! You are a Southern Miss Alumni, and folks need to know you are also a supporter of the University.”
“We are going to get there,” replied Bryant, who has not been charged with a crime. “This was a great meeting. But we have to follow the law. I am to old for Federal Prison. 😎”
Favre, who also has not been charged with a crime, has clearly heard the deluge of voices condemning him. And now he has spoken out once again.
In a written statement to Fox News, Favre said: “I have done nothing wrong, and it is past time to set the record straight.”
He added: “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.”
Favre claimed that the fact the funds were passed through various agencies suggested there was no impropriety, saying: “I was told that the legal work to ensure that these funds could be accepted by the university was done by State attorneys and State employees.”
But with the sheer size of the investigation, the fact that multiple officials might have been involved doesn’t mean this wasn’t an illegal scheme. It just says this could be a far-reaching one.
Read between the lines of Favre’s recent statements and you’ll find they’re more deflection than denial. His continued insistence that he didn’t knowingly take welfare funds sounds revealing — and leaves open the possibility that he took money improperly, even if you take him at his word that he didn’t know precisely where it was coming from.
Ja’han Jones is an MS NOW opinion blogger. He previously wrote The ReidOut Blog.