Attorney investigating Brett Favre, ex-Governor Phil Bryant in Mississippi $94 million state fraud scandal, #lawyer #probing #Brett #Favre #exGov #Phil #Bryant #94M #Mississippi #welfare #fraud #scandal #fired #state OLASMEDIA TV NEWSThis is what we have for you today:
The attorney charged with investigating ex-NFL quarterback Brett Favre, former Governor Phil Bryant and others in a massive $94 million fraud scheme in Mississippi has been fired by the state.
Brad Pigott, a former U.S. attorney who led the investigation for the Mississippi Department of Human Services, was notified Friday of his resignation by MDHS Director Bob Anderson. He told Mississippi Today that he was not given a reason for his dismissal, but was told it had nothing to do with the quality of his work. He believes it was politically motivated.
“The only thing I did and I believe the only thing that got me fired from representing the department or having anything to do with the lawsuit was trying to get to the truth about all that,” Pigott said.
MDHS is overseen by Republican government Tate Reeves. Pigott, a Democrat, expects another Republican to take his place.
“I’m sure they can find a loyal Republican attorney to do the job,” Pigott continued.
Officials from MDHS and the Mississippi Attorney General’s office did not respond to calls from Mississippi Today asking for comment. Shelby Wilcher, a spokeswoman for Reeves, released a statement on Saturday that “it was decided that a semi-retired solo practitioner was not the right person to sign up for more work.”
Brett Favre. (Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
Favre accused of accepting millions in mis-spent welfare funds
A 2020 state audit claimed MDHS had $94 million in federal funds from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, designed to help needy residents in one of the poorest states in the country. Pigott filed a lawsuit in May to recover about $24 million of the money.
The suit named 38 defendants, including Favre and ex-MDHS director John Davis. Davis was named by Bryant during the ex-governor’s term. According to the lawsuit, Davis allegedly partnered with nonprofit organizations to improperly distribute TANF funds. Davis also faces 20 criminal charges related to the scandal, including conspiracy, embezzlement, bribery and fraud.
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The suit demands $3.2 million from Favre and Favre Enterprises. According to the lawsuit, Favre and his business partner Jake VanLandingham requested TANF funds from Nancy New for Florida pharmaceutical start-up Prevacus, which claimed to be developing a drug to treat concussions. New, a friend of former First Lady Deborah Bryant who ran a nonprofit with her son Zach, pleaded guilty in April charges of misuse of public funds.
According to the lawsuit, Favre received VanLandingham, Davis and the News at a meeting in 2019 at his home, where the News agreed to pay $1.7 million in TANF funds to Prevacus with a promise that the company would complete its clinical trials in Mississippi. to carry out. Favre is also mentioned in the lawsuit for accepting $1.1 million for no-show speaking engagements.
New, who has agreed to cooperate with the state, accused Bryant in a July court filing of her to pay the $1.1 million to Favre. A spokesman for Bryant denied the allegation.
Favre paid back the $1.1 million while the state still requires a $228,000 interest payment. He will not be criminally prosecuted.
South Miss volleyball facility a focus of probe
Pigott filed a subpoena earlier in July focused on Bryant’s communication of $5 million in TANF funds spent on construction of new volleyball facility at Favre’s alma mater Southern Mississippi. Favre’s daughter played on the volleyball team. Mississippi Today reports that Favre wrote to VanLandingham in a text message that New has arranged financing for the volleyball facility.
“She has strong connections and gave me 5 million for Vball facility through grant money,” Favre wrote in 2018by Mississippi Today.
Pigott told Mississippi Today that he was initially blocked from taking the $5 million in money for volleyball facilities in the civil lawsuit.
“I was forbidden to do this by political agents who consider themselves higher than the director of the MDHS.”
He told the New York Times on Saturday that he believes his dismissal was directly related to the investigation into the Southern Miss.
“I believe I was fired as a result of a pattern of orders from the Mississippi governor’s office to protect an entity called the University of Southern Mississippi Athletic Foundation from any responsibility in this matter,” Pigott said.
Wilcher swore that the investigation to get the money back would continue.
“This work to recover misappropriated funds will continue uninterrupted, with a full-service law firm capable of handling it professionally,” she said.