John Davis, former head of the Mississippi Department of Human Services, pleaded guilty to federal and state charges related to the embezzlement scheme Brett Favre is linked to on Thursday. He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and one count of theft from programs receiving federal funds. In state court a short time later, he pleaded guilty to five counts of conspiracy and 13 counts of fraud against the government.
According to Adam Wells of the Bleacher Report, “A court filing has revealed Brett Favre pressed Mississippi officials for help to pay for new sports facilities at the University of Southern Mississippi despite being told misuse of state welfare funds could be illegal.” This revelation came out in text messages sent over a period of time in 2019 and 2020 that were cited in a court filing. Mississippi governor, at that time Phil Bryant told Favre via text in July 2019 that the founder of a non-profit who paid him “has some limited control over Federal Funds in the form of Grants for Children and adults in the Low-Income Community.”
Follow the Text Trail
The lawyer representing former governor of Mississippi Phil Bryant said that the court filing shows Favre “continued to press for the state funds, first from the director of human services and later in a legislative appropriation.” The court filing also notes after Bryant left office in January 2020 that Favre sought his help “to obtain a legislative appropriation to cover his personal debt” and Bryant responded by telling him he would contact then-Southern Mississippi president Rodney Bennett.
One day after that exchange, Favre told Bryant via text he spoke with new Mississippi governor Tate Reeves and urged Bryant to keep pressing Reeves, as well. Bennett told Bryant via text he “asked Brett not to do the things he’s doing to seek funding from state agencies and the legislature” because what Favre was doing was “outside” the Mississippi state higher education system’s guidelines for how to go about requesting and receiving approval for projects. “Maybe he wants the state to pay off his promises,” Bryant replied via text. “Like all of us I like Brett. He is a legend, but he has to understand what a pledge means. I have tried many times to explain that to him.”
Feet to the Fire
According to Emily Wagster Pettus of the Associated Press, Favre is among the defendants in the case and secured at least $5 million in funding from the state’s welfare funds. Favre and Bryant have not been charged in the welfare misspending case at this time, but Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens stated, “We are looking at all individuals that have been identified” in text messages or in other ways.”
Erin Prebble started her sports enthusiasm and freelance writing in Ohio, following the Cincinnati Bengals and the Cleveland Browns. She has been writing for Gridiron Heroics since September 2022, covering NFL and NCAA football.