State of Mississippi suing Brett Favre, others over welfare funds

[May 10, 2022] A civil lawsuit has been filed in Mississippi that attempts to recoup lost welfare money earmarked to address poverty, and former NFL quarterback Brett Favre is among 38 entities named in the suit.

The Mississippi Department of Human Services is suing Favre, as well as three former pro wrestlers, as it attempts to recover millions of misspent welfare dollars.

Favre, a longtime Mississippi resident, received $1.1 million from the state agency in exchange for speeches and public appearances that were never delivered. The Hall-of-Famer paid back the full amount, but the state remains committed to collecting interest, which amounts to $228,000.

The three wrestlers in question, Brett DiBiase, Ted DiBiase Sr. (aka "The Million Dollar Man") and Ted DiBiase Jr., ran an organization called "Heart of David Ministries Inc.," which received $1.7 million in grant money in 2017-18.

The lawsuit was filed shortly after Nancy New and Zachary New, a mother and son who ran a nonprofit group charged with misspending, pled guilty to state criminal charges and reached an agreement to testify against others.

--Field Level Media

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