Former NFL quarterback Brett Favre is expected to be deposed for his part in the ongoing case of the biggest welfare scandal in Mississippi, which alleges, in part, that Favre pushed to use misspent welfare funds for construction of the $7 million Wellness Center volley stadium on the campus of the University of Southern Mississippi.
According to documents filed October 2 in Hinds County Circuit Court, the Mississippi Department of Human Services has requested the process begin at 9 a.m. October 26 at Hotel Indigo, 103 South 30th Avenue in Hattiesburg. The deposition will require Favre, who is a resident of Lamar County, to testify or give evidence under oath, and will be conducted via oral examination in the presence of a court reporter.
The scandal dates back to February 2020, when Mississippi State Auditor Shad White’s office arrested six individuals as part of the largest embezzlement scheme in state history regarding misspent welfare aid. In May of that year, White issued the annual single audit – as required because his office receives federal dollars – which found a $1.1 million expenditure of funds from the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families welfare program that were paid to Favre Enterprises, allegedly for speaking engagements that went unfulfilled.
In October 2021, White ordered Favre to repay $828,000 in misappropriated funds from that program, which is meant for families in need throughout the state. Favre has since paid the balance that was owed.
Last year, it was announced that the volleyball stadium had been built with TANF funds, rather than being used to help underserved families. In November, the Mississippi Department of Human Services rejected the university’s offer to make available campus facilities to the department that USM proposes could be used for underserved individuals throughout the area, saying that proposal would violate federal laws regarding the use of the TANF program.
“As noted in prior audits, use of TANF funds for the construction of brick-and-mortar building projects has never been authorized by law,” reads a statement issued by the Mississippi Department of Health. “MDHS cannot accept USM’s offer to utilize the building constructed with TANF funds in lieu of repayment of the funds, because we believe it to be a continued violation of the law and the purpose of the TANF program to help lift needy families out of poverty.”
Text messages released in September of last year between Favre and former governor Phil Bryant show that Favre – whose daughter played volleyball at USM – pressured the governor to use federal grant money to build the volleyball stadium.
Bryant was then subpoenaed in a Mississippi civil suit over welfare misspending, although he has not been charged civilly or criminally.
In November of last year, Tommy Duff, who serves as president for the Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees, expressed his belief that the university should repay $5 million of the welfare funds used for the stadium. Duff claimed that when IHL board members signed off on the abovementioned 2017 agreement, they were unaware the volleyball stadium was being approved, as it was listed as an item on the consent agenda.
In November 2021, the case of $828,000 allegedly owed by Favre for misappropriated TANF funds was sent to Attorney General Lynn Fitch’s office.
White referred the case to Fitch – along with that of several others who owe the state money in the welfare scandal, including Marcus Dupree, Brett Dibiase and Ted Dibiase Jr.
Favre has maintained he was unaware of any misspent funds.
In May, he filed an appeal with the Mississippi Supreme Court to dismiss himself from the welfare scandal case – which features more than 40 defendants – but that appeal was denied in August.
Also in August, Rodney Bennett, former president of the University of Southern Mississippi, was subpoenaed for communications with Favre regarding the scandal.
The subpoenae was filed August 18 in Hinds County Circuit Court as “Mississippi Department of Human Services (plaintiff) v. Mississippi Community Education Center.” It requires Bennett to produce materials related to the matter, or to permit an inspection of premises, and makes 11 requests including written correspondence, emails, social media posts, text messages, phone calls and all other types of communication.
Those requests include, but are not limited to:
- Any communications between Bennett and Favre from January 1 to the present that contain terms such as volleyball, governor, Mississippi Department of Human Services, pledge, agreement, Nancy, Zach, grant funds, and brick and mortar;
- Any communications between Bennett and Favre’s wife, Deanna, from January 1, 2017 to the present with the above terms;
- Any communications between Bennett and former Gov. Phil Bryant from January 1, 2017 to the present with the above terms;
- Any communications between Bennett and Nancy New, Zach New and/or Jess New from January 1, 2017 to the present with the above terms; and
- Any communications related to the University of Southern Mississippi Athletic Foundation’s sublease with the Mississippi Community Education Center.
Bennett began his tenure as the 10th president of USM in April 2013. In January 2022, he announced his intention to step down as president, effective in July of that year.
Bennett was succeeded by Joe Paul, who previously served for 40 years as the administrator of the university’s Student Affairs department.
