Former NFL quarterback Brett Favre finds himself in the middle of a massive welfare fraud scandal in which he allegedly sought and received millions in money intended for Mississippi’s poorest citizens in order to boost a drug company he invested in and get a volleyball complex built at the University of Southern Miss.
Favre has denied that he knew where the money was coming from and claimed innocence over all accusations. However, text messages that have been made public in court filings seem to show that he was actively courting support from former Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant and others.
Thursday, Mississippi Today, which broke the story and has covered it in its entirety, reported that in one text exchange between Favre and Bryant, the Green Bay Packers legend seemed to desire help from then-President of the United States Donald Trump in getting more funding for Prevacus, the drug company he had invested in.
One text message shows that, on Nov. 26, 2018, Bryant sent a text to Favre asking if he wanted to speak at a rally with then-President Donald Trump for Republican U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith’s campaign that evening. Favre said he could not on such short notice, but asked Bryant to “tell the big chief I said hello” and that Trump had been “very nice to the family.”
Later in the conversation that day, Favre changed the subject.
“On a different note I invested in a company called Prevacus and it’s a drug that will treat concussions we need help politically to try to get FDA approval,” Farve wrote. The texts also show that he asked Bryant if he would speak with VanLandingham, whose company is based in Tallahassee, Fla., and said they needed “funding to complete human trial studies.”
“Sure. Give him my cell and have him text or give me a call. Will be glad to help,” Bryant replied.
According to Mississippi Today, Bryant texted Favre on June 26, 2019, and let him know that “the WH called and Trump wants you to come to the WH.” He followed that up he texted ” POTUS needed to take on Brain Injury as a mission and we would be there.”
“Yes we will. Would love to,” Favre replied to Bryant.
Mississippi Today says that it’s unclear if any direct conversation between Favre and the White House ever happened.
new brett favre texts dropped. you never know what kind of scandal you’ll get from his texts it’s like spinning a roulette wheel of bad things https://t.co/VLp0qHmvBH
— Brian Floyd (@BrianMFloyd) May 4, 2023
Brett Favre y’all https://t.co/YqBOx2vWWF
— Panthers Culture
(@PanthersCulture) May 4, 2023