Two years after Brett Favre allegedly collected millions in welfare money to fund a volleyball arena at Southern Mississippi, a former state official claims the NFL legend wanted more cash for a football facility, new court docs show.
Ex-Mississippi governor Phil Bryant‘s attorneys say text messages show Favre reached out to Bryant again in 2019 regarding financing a potential indoor practice facility at his alma mater … this, after already allegedly taking around $5 million for the volleyball arena.
Despite being warned of the serious legal risks, Bryant’s legal team claims Favre “continued to press for state funds” … and wanted up to $2 million for projects, according to ESPN.
The docs state Favre told Bryant via text … “We obviously need your help big time and time is working against us. And we feel that your name is the perfect choice for this facility and we are not taking No for an answer! You are a Southern Miss Alumni, and folks need to know you are also a supporter of the University.”
Bryant responded with caution, saying … “We are going to get there. This was a great meeting. But we have to follow the law. I am to[o] old for Federal Prison.”
Bryant also alleges he spoke with former Southern Miss prez Rodney Bennett, who claimed he “asked Brett not to do the things he’s doing to seek funding from state agencies and the legislature.”
Favre — who is listed as a defendant in a lawsuit filed by the state of Mississippi over misspent welfare money — has previously said through his attorneys he did not know where the funding for the facility came from.
Former Mississippi Department of Human Services director John Davis pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the State of Mississippi out of more than $70 million in federal funds on Thursday.
In the meantime, Favre’s SiriusXM Radio football show has been put on ice.