Joe.My.God. LGBT News
The Mississippi Free Press reports:
Brett Favre sought Gov. Tate Reeves’ help to get state funds to pay for volleyball facilities that the former NFL star had vowed to personally fund at his alma mater, according to text messages the Mississippi Free Press obtained through a public-records request to the governor’s office.
In 2017, before Reeves was governor, the Mississippi Department of Human Services directed $5 million in Temporary Assistance For Needy Families welfare funds to build a volleyball facility at the University of Southern Mississippi, Favre’s alma mater.
On Jan. 26, 2020, Favre sent a text to former Gov. Phil Bryant, who had just left the job weeks earlier, asking if he could “think of anyone or any other way of getting funding for the remainder of Vball.” Bryant revealed those text messages in September court filings as part of a civil case over misspent TANF funds.
Read the full article.
NEW: Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves talked to Brett Favre about getting state funds to pay the remaining $1.6 million he owed on a volleyball stadium at USM after the State stopped using welfare funds for the project.
We have the text messages. ?https://t.co/0FY4r2Npmz
— Ashton Pittman (@ashtonpittman) December 9, 2022
With an ex-state official and nonprofit leader who had helped Brett Favre by directing $5 million in TANF welfare funds to the project now under investigation, he asked Gov. Tate Reeves to help him get the Legislature to approve the $1.6 million he owed.https://t.co/0FY4r34soz
— Ashton Pittman (@ashtonpittman) December 9, 2022
I made a public records request to Gov. Tate Reeves’ office for his texts with Brett Favre from the time he entered office in January 2020.
The first text, dated Jan. 27, 2020, shows that Favre and Reeves spoke by phone at 2 p.m. that day.https://t.co/0FY4r34soz pic.twitter.com/4lE6Rs9pll
— Ashton Pittman (@ashtonpittman) December 9, 2022
Brett Favre’s text to Reeves later that day makes it clear they discussed volleyball facility during their phone call.
“Failed to mention but there will be state programs using the facility like seminars,teen rallies,obesity campaigns etc…,” he wrote.https://t.co/77mE6lxy5o pic.twitter.com/mu4kGjm5Xl
— Ashton Pittman (@ashtonpittman) December 9, 2022
On Feb. 5, 2020, officials announced the arrests of nonprofit operator Nancy New and ex-DHS director John Davis on charges of misusing millions in welfare.
Unmentioned; That New and Davis had directed $5 million in TANF money to the volleyball project.https://t.co/77mE6lOB7o
— Ashton Pittman (@ashtonpittman) December 9, 2022
In Brett Favre’s first text to Gov. Tate Reeves on Feb. 5, 2020, he urged the governor to appoint a friend of his and his wife’s, Desmond Hoda, to the state chiropractic board.
“Not sure how good a chiropractor he is but he is a helluva guy!!!” he wrote.https://t.co/77mE6lxy5o pic.twitter.com/mvAOOMAbqp
— Ashton Pittman (@ashtonpittman) December 9, 2022
Brett Favre sent another text message to Gov. Reeves immediately afterward, saying he wanted to show him the USM volleyball facility so he could “see what your (sic) trying to help us for.”https://t.co/77mE6lxy5o pic.twitter.com/jlDXkVf80o
— Ashton Pittman (@ashtonpittman) December 9, 2022
Gov. Tate Reeves responded to Favre’s first tweet about the chiropractor, Desmond Hoda.
“I will definitely appoint him based on your recommendation (or really Deanna’s – HA)!
A week later, on Feb. 12, Reeves nominated Hoda. He received unanimous approval.https://t.co/77mE6lOB7o pic.twitter.com/vqZ43eChrm
— Ashton Pittman (@ashtonpittman) December 9, 2022
The State is suing Brett Favre and dozens of others as part of a civil suit attempting to claw back tens of millions in misspent funds.
But Favre has not been accused of criminal wrongdoing. Neither has Gov. Reeves or former Gov. Bryant.https://t.co/77mE6lOB7o
— Ashton Pittman (@ashtonpittman) December 9, 2022
We have an exhaustive timeline exploring how $5 million in Temporary Assistance For Needy Families funds went to build the volleyball facilities at USM just as Brett Favre’s daughter began a volleyball career there.
It includes dozens more text messages: https://t.co/h7UWJwLh50
— Ashton Pittman (@ashtonpittman) December 9, 2022
On Feb. 27, 2020, Gov. Reeves’ Chief of Staff Brad White sent him a text message with a link to @ayewolfe‘s @MSTODAYnews story which broke the news that state funds were used to build the volleyball facility.
We saw no Reeves-Favre texts after that.https://t.co/77mE6lOB7o pic.twitter.com/oeRcqBHOsC
— Ashton Pittman (@ashtonpittman) December 9, 2022