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Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre was questioned by the FBI over a long-running Mississippi welfare fraud case.
Favre’s attorney, Bud Holmes, told NBC News that his client was questioned over the $1.1 million in fees he received in 2017 and 2018 to make motivational speeches that he allegedly didn’t perform.
“Favre would have been indicted by now if it was proven he knew the funds came from TANF,” an associate of Fravre’s told Front Office Sports on condition of anonymity.
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) is a federal program that — as the name suggests — provides financial assistance to states for the purpose of supporting needy families with children. Favre has denied knowing the funds came from the program.
An inquiry into how the funds were used dates back to early 2020.
A Mississippi state auditor found that about $70 million in welfare funds were given to Favre along with former pro wrestler Ted DiBiase ($3 million) and former University of Oklahoma running back Marcus Dupree ($370,000).
Brad Pigott, who was hired by Mississippi to get the misappropriated funds back, was fired in July after he subpoenaed Favre and former Gov. Phil Bryant, sparking claims the move had political motivations.
“The notion of tens of millions of dollars that was intended by the country to go to the alleviation of poverty — and to see it going toward very different purposes — was appalling to many of us,” Pigott told NBC News.
Favre has repaid the $1.1 million, but still hasn’t paid back interest owed that amounts to about $228,000.
