Brett Favre testified under oath for several hours on Monday, marking the first time the Hall of Fame quarterback was deposed to address his alleged role in the Mississippi Welfare scandal.
Earlier this year, Favre’s legal team stated that he “does not intend to invoke the Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination” as a defendant in a civil case brought by the Mississippi Department of Human Services. MDHS seeks to recover over $77 million in misappropriated federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds.
Favre was deposed for about nine hours by lawyers representing MDHS, according to The Mississippi Free Press. The deposition occurred in an office building near Favre’s home in Hattiesburg, Miss., which wasn’t disclosed in the deposition notice entered into the court docket in October.
The federal criminal inquiry into the largest public corruption scandal in Mississippi history continues to be ongoing as Favre’s deposition, originally scheduled for October, took place.
Favre has denied any wrongdoing.
About $8 million of the TANF funds have been connected mainly by text messages made public via court documents as part of the MDHS lawsuit filed last year and previous reporting by Front Office Sports.
Favre repaid $1.1 million for speeches and public service announcements he did not perform. He also allegedly helped procure about $5 million for a volleyball arena at the University of Southern Mississippi, his alma mater, and where his daughter played the sport at the time. About $2 million of TANF funds also went to Prevacus, a drug company that counted Favre as its largest investor.
The spotlight on Favre over the last two years has caused brands to put their relationships with him on hold, leading SiriusXM and other outlets to pause his broadcast duties.
Former USM president (and current University of Nebraska chancellor) Rodney Bennett was deposed in October over the TANF funds the USM Athletic Foundation received. Earlier this year, Bennett and other current and former USM officials received subpoenas for their communications with Favre and individuals closely associated with him.
According to the protective order in the case, Favre’s deposition will remain confidential for 30 days as attorneys for Favre and MDHS submit redactions. The order also prevents lawyers and defendants involved in the litigation from discussing the case publicly.
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