For those following the massive Mississippi welfare fraud case, nothing much has been heard from Brett Favre lately after his lawsuit against Shannon Sharpe was thrown out by a Mississippi judge in October.
But today Favre has popped back up and is trying to have his lawsuit against Sharpe revived.
The situation began in 2022 when Anna Wolfe of Mississippi Today exposed the $77 million welfare fraud case in the state which she called the “biggest public fraud case in state history”.
Wolfe was able to secure text messages between former Gov. Phil Bryant, nonprofit founder Nancy New and Hall of Fame QB, Brett Favre regarding $5 million in funds for a new volleyball facility at the University of Southern Mississippi, which was Favre’s alma mater and where his daughter went to school.
But that money was part of the $77 million in TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) funds stolen from needed families and allocated to those it wasn’t meant for.
After individuals were charged and indicted, the attention turned to Favre, who continued to maintain his innocence despite being blasted by the media, including Sharpe, who ripped his fellow Hall of Famer in September 2022 while he was on Undisputed.
Sharpe said that Favre had “stole money from people that really needed that money” and that he was a sorry person to “steal from the lowest of the low.”
Favre sued Sharpe for defamation of character but that charge was tossed out, US district judge Keith Starrett ruling that Sharpe’s remarks were “rhetorical hyperbole” protected by the constitution.
Now Favre and his attorneys have resurfaced and are asking a federal appeals court to revive his defamation of character lawsuit against Sharpe as the former Green Bay QB was never charged with a crime or theft.
While he was never actually charged with a crime, three judges from Mississippi’s state supreme court ruled that his name would remain on the civil lawsuit filed by the Mississippi Department of Human Services, which is seeking to recoup the stolen TANF funds.
Favre had also been improperly paid $1.1 million in speaking fees from the TANF funds. He paid back the $1.1 million but Mississippi state auditor Shad White said that he still owed $729,790 in interest.
We will keep you updated on this situation.
