The Big Lead

Brett Favre Needs to Pay Back the $1.1 Million Mississippi Paid Him 'For Speeches he Never Gave'

By Ryan Phillips

Brett Favre at SiriusXM At Super Bowl LIV - Day 3
Brett Favre at SiriusXM At Super Bowl LIV - Day 3 / Cindy Ord/Getty Images
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Brett Favre has found himself embroiled in controversy due a scandal involving the Mississippi Department of Human Services. An audit of the state's DHS found $94 million in "questionable" welfare spending, including payments totaling $1.1 million to Favre Enterprises.

The audit focused on fiscal year 2019 and discovered Favre's company was paid $1.1 million in two installments by the Mississippi Community Education Center (MCEC). Those payments were for appearances he never made.

Here's the relevant section from the Mississippi Clarion Ledger article about the audit:

"Brett Favre's company, Favre Enterprises, was paid $1.1 million by MCEC over two installments for appearances, promotions, autographs and speaking engagements by the former star quarterback from Mississippi. Auditors said after reviewing dates and other details they determined Favre "did not speak nor was he present for those events." They wrote the amount Favre made in the deal was "unreasonable." The Clarion Ledger has reached out to the Favre's agent for comment on this story and several related DH stories and has not received a response. He faces no criminal charges. "

So, Mississippi's DHS handed Favre $1.1 million for a no-show job. Must be nice.

Favre has yet to comment on the story but if he hasn't paid the money back yet, he should do so immediately. There could be an innocent explanation, like someone made the contract with the state then never followed through and told Favre. We'll give him the benefit of the doubt until we hear from him. Either way, there's no reason that money should be in his bank account. There are people in Mississippi struggling right now and that cash could be used to help.

This is a massive deal in Mississippi, as six criminal indictments have already been handed down in what is being called the state's largest embezzlement scandal on record. Favre wants no part of this. Plus, giving back the cash is the right thing to do.