On behalf of our esteemed members, we wholeheartedly denounce the misappropriation of funds earmarked for those in need in the poorest state in America to finance former NFL quarterback Brett Favre’s personal interest projects.
According to reports, in 2017, Favre acquired $5 million from the educational nonprofit Mississippi Community Education Center (MCEC) to construct a volleyball facility at the University of Southern Mississippi.
The transaction is one of many illegal activities alleged to have occurred at the Mississippi Department of Human Services, whose primary mission is to provide assistance to state residents in dire situations.
Farve is believed to have received more than $8 million dollars in total including $2 million for a start-up company and $1.1 million for public speaking fees, though he never appeared at the scheduled events (Though Farve has recently paid the speaking fees, he still owes more than $200,000 in interest).
The news is exceptionally appalling considering the state’s capital Jackson has been enduring from inadequate water for years which has escalated to today’s well-known crisis.
“In 2017, the Mississippi Office of Budget and Fund Management reported a $169 million budget shortfall in the amount of tax income needed to fund the states infrastructure and social services programs. In 2021, World Population Review ranked Mississippi 49th out of 50 states in average quality of life. The actions of Brett Favre and former governor Phil Bryant illustrate a callous disregard for the issues facing the citizens of Mississippi,” clarifies Caleb Pennington, Brilliant Minds Collective’s Head of Research.
(Disclosure: The publisher of Urban Magazine serves as communication director for the Brilliant Minds Collective.)
