(CN) — Between 2017 and 2020, some $77 million in Mississippi welfare funds were misspent. In a state with some of the lowest welfare payouts, money intended for needy families was instead funneled to unrelated causes.
The ensuing state and federal investigations have so far led to eight indictments — though as the statute of limitations closes, critics complain that some high-profile Mississippians have not been charged. That includes former NFL star Brett Favre, who state authorities say misdirected millions, including for speaking engagements that Favre was supposed to give but that never actually happened. Through a representative, Favre declined to comment for this story.
Such is the subject of “Mississippi Swindle: Brett Favre and the Welfare Scandal that Rocked America,” a forthcoming book from Penguin Random House. Written by Mississippi State Auditor Shad White, it comes out today, Tuesday, Aug. 6.
“Mississippi Swindle” tells the true story of how White’s office uncovered the fraud, leading to a slate of criminal and civil cases. That legal fallout is still ongoing, but “we’re effectively at the end of the investigation,” White said in a phone interview last week. “At this juncture, prosecutors have all the information that they're likely going to have.”
Prosecutions continue even as the book hits shelves. Just last month, a Florida neuroscientist pleaded guilty to a federal wire-fraud charge after authorities said he used Mississippi welfare money on a pharmaceutical startup — as well as on gambling debts and other personal expenses.
Highlighting the seriousness of the case, some conspirators now face prison sentences of more than 35 years. That includes John Davis, the former director of the Mississippi Department of Human Services who pleaded guilty to conspiracy and theft of federal funds, and Nancy New, the founder of an educational nonprofit who pleaded guilty to misspending public money.
Then there’s Favre, who once played for the Green Bay Packers and other NFL teams. The former quarterback hasn’t been criminally charged even as critics place him at the center of the scandal — though he is being sued by White and other state officials seeking to recover lost welfare funds.
Working with New, state officials say Favre helped get millions to a volleyball facility at the University of Southern Mississippi, where his daughter once played. They say he also helped get $2.1 million to Prevacus, a pharmaceutical startup focused not on needy families but on creating an anti-concussion drug for football players. Favre has denied wrongdoing, even suing White for defamation — but critics say evidence shows he knew something was amiss. “If you were to pay me,” he texted New at one point, “is there anyway [sic] the media can find out where it came from and how much?”
Even before its release, "Mississippi Swindle” was already causing drama in Mississippi political circles. Besides the defamation suit from Favre, White is also being sued by state Attorney General Lynn Fitch, who argues that her office — not his — is responsible for recovering misspent funds.
Fitch, a fellow Republican, likewise told White she wouldn’t defend him against Favre’s lawsuit, which accuses White of misrepresenting Favre’s knowledge of the fraud. In a statement posted to her website, she accused White of "repeated miscalculations" and "a book rushed to print."
Despite the criticisms and legal challenges, the state auditor remains undeterred. “I'm not going to be bullied into shutting up,” White told Courthouse News. “I think if anybody thinks they're going to tell me to stop telling the truth about what happened to taxpayer funds down here, they've misread their audience.”
In his interview, White said he first began writing the book out of frustration, concerned the state might sweep the scandal under the rug.
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