Brett Favre, former NFL quarterback, has revealed that a Mississippi judge unlawfully prevented his primary lawyer from representing him in a civil lawsuit filed in the state. The lawsuit aims to recover misspent welfare funds.
Favre has taken action to challenge the ruling made by Hinds County Circuit Judge Faye Peterson on July 11. He has filed an appeal through one of his attorneys to the Mississippi Supreme Court, seeking to overturn the decision.
In 2022, Favre found himself named in a civil lawsuit filed by the Mississippi Department of Human Services, along with over thirty individuals, groups, and companies. The state auditor uncovered evidence indicating that welfare funds designated to assist some of the poorest citizens in the country were instead diverted towards projects supported by affluent and influential individuals, among them a university volleyball arena that Favre supported.
According to Peterson’s order, Favre’s attorney, Daniel Koevary, based in New York, repeatedly requested hearings for matters that were not related to or under the jurisdiction of the Mississippi civil court procedures. Peterson found Koevary’s actions in violation of the rules and considered them an attempt to cause conflict.
In an appeal filed on Thursday, Favre’s attorney from Mississippi, Michael J. Bentley, argued that Peterson’s order is causing irreparable damage.
According to Bentley, Koevary and other non-local attorneys did not commit any wrongdoing while representing Favre. Thus, there was no reason to sideline them and deny Favre access to the attorneys with the most institutional knowledge on the issue. This action could have infringed on Favre’s rights and could have resulted in a disadvantage for him.
In 2020, Mississippi Auditor Shad White accused former NFL player and Pro Football Hall of Fame member Brett Favre of receiving $1.1 million in speaking fees from a nonprofit organization. The organization had used welfare funds with the approval of the Mississippi Department of Human Services, which were intended for the construction of a volleyball arena at the University of Southern Mississippi. Favre had agreed to lead the fundraising efforts for the facility, which was located at his alma mater and where his daughter had joined the volleyball team in 2017.
According to White, Favre made payments of $500,000 in May 2020 and $600,000 in October 2021 to repay the state. However, the court filing in February revealed that Favre still owes $729,790 due to the accumulation of interest on the amount owed.
Favre, fortunately, is not in any legal trouble. However, John Davis, the previous director of the Mississippi Department of Human Services, and others have admitted to misusing funds from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program.
During the period from 2016 to 2019, an amount of over $77 million in welfare funds was reportedly misused, according to White. This included expenses such as $160,000 for drug rehabilitation of a former professional wrestler and significant amounts of money spent on airfare and hotel stays for Davis, who was heading the department during that time.
