Southern Miss great and Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre broke his public silence Tuesday regarding his implication in a Mississippi welfare scandal that misspent at least $77 million in federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds, according to an auditor.
Mississippi Today reporting shows texts sent by Favre to nonprofit director Nancy New and former Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant in which Favre lobbies for funding for the Wellness Center at Southern Miss. The new $7 million facility, which hosts USM volleyball games, was paid for with at least $5 million in TANF money.