Brett Favre has broken his silence over his involvement in a Mississippi welfare fraud scandal.
The retired NFL quarterback was revealed to have been part of a plan to use at least $5 million that would have gone to low-income families for personal gain, such as a volleyball facility at the University of Southern Mississippi. It has also been revealed Favre used funds from his own charity for his own personal benefit.
Some government officials have been arrested or investigated for their involvement, but Favre has not faced any legal action and has continued to deny any wrongdoing, despite text messages revealed during civil court.
"I have been unjustly smeared in the media," Favre said in a statement published by Fox News Digital on Tuesday. "I have done nothing wrong, and it is past time to set the record straight.
"No one ever told me, and I did not know, that funds designated for welfare recipients were going to the University or me. I tried to help my alma mater USM, a public Mississippi state university, raise funds for a wellness center. My goal was and always will be to improve the athletic facilities at my university.
"State agencies provided the funds to Nancy New's charity, the Mississippi Community Education Center, which then gave the funds to the University, all with the full knowledge and approval of other State agencies, including the State-wide Institute for Higher Learning, the Governor's office and the Attorney General’s office.
"I was told that the legal work to ensure that these funds could be accepted by the university was done by State attorneys and State employees."
Favre's statement is contradictory to the text messages revealed in court.
"If you were to pay me, is there any way the media can find out where it came from and how much?" Favre asked New.
The Hall of Fame quarterback was assured the information had not been made public, and that seemed to be the assurance he needed to go all in on the fraud scheme.
Favre is being sued by the state of Mississippi for paying back the $1.1 million he received from the welfare fraud scandal, but he has not paid back interest.
State auditor Shad White, who was the first to discover the misuse of funds and fraud, had a counter-argument on Favre saying he did not know what the money was being used for.
"Now, whether or not Mr. Favre knew that this money was specifically coming from Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, there are no documents out in the public right now that suggest that," White told Fox News Digital. "There are no documents that suggest that he knew the precise laws and regulations around TANF funds. But he did know it was government money, and he did know that it was coming from this agency. And of course, that agency is the agency that is responsible for handling programs that are geared toward helping the poor."
Many will likely not buy Favre's story, but it looks like until further evidence incriminates the retired NFL quarterback, he'll be sticking with his denial.
