Mississippi governor’s brother suggested that auditor praise Brett Favre during welfare scandal
As Brett Favre became ensnared in media attention for his connection to Mississippi’s sprawling welfare scandal, Gov. Tate Reeves’ brother suggested the state official investigating the case praise the retired NFL quarterback
JACKSON, Miss. — As Brett Favre became ensnared in media attention for his connection to Mississippi's sprawling welfare scandal, Gov. Tate Reeves' brother suggested the state official investigating the case praise the retired NFL quarterback.
Screen shots of text messages released Thursday by Reeves' re-election campaign show the governor’s brother, Todd Reeves, passing along a request from Favre to Mississippi State Auditor Shad White for a favorable statement about the retired star athlete. Todd Reeves texted White on May 6, 2020, months after the auditor announced in February that criminal charges were brought against six people accused of diverting welfare money intended for some of the poorest people in the nation to the rich and powerful.
Favre has not been charged with a crime. But he has said the media “ unjustly smeared ” him in coverage of the scandal, including about payments he received to help fund his pet project — a volleyball arena at the university he attended and where his daughter was playing the sport.
“If possible, Brett would like you to say something along the lines of ‘the investigation (shows to this point) Brett has done nothing wrong and the monies he is paying back for commercials and Psa’s is from his own good will,’" Todd Reeves texted White.
Another text from Todd Reeves said reporters were “hounding” Favre.
The campaign for Gov. Reeves, a Republican running for reelection, released the text messages to preempt a story by news outlet Mississippi Today about
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