Investigative journalists Ashton Pittman and William Pittman exposed a major scandal in Mississippi. The governor misappropriated millions of dollars intended for the needy and diverted the money to build a volleyball stadium to please NFL star Brett Favre. They gained access to text messages among the major actors.
They begin:
Between 2016 and 2019, the Mississippi Department of Human Services and nonprofits associated with it allegedly misspent more than tens of millions of dollars in federal Temporary Assistance For Needy Families funds that should have gone to the poorest families in the poorest state. More than $5 million of those funds went toward a volleyball-stadium project at the University of Southern Mississippi favored by retired NFL quarterback Brett Favre and $1.1 million went to Favre himself.
This timeline focuses on that element of the welfare scandal, including text messages with Favre and others revealed in court filings by former Gov. Phil Bryant and by Nancy New’s nonprofit, the Mississippi Community Education Center. The text messages are not a complete record, however; Bryant’s texts include redactions; New’s texts do not indicate redactions, but nevertheless appear to leave out important exchanges. When necessary, text exchanges that were spread across multiple pages in the court filings have been stitched together.
Though New, former MDHS Director John Davis, and four others have faced criminal charges, prosecutors have not accused Favre nor Bryant of a crime.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
As it turns out, we took our daughter to Southern Miss for a choral conference. While she sang with the 400+ high schoolers that attended, we visited with some of the faculty. They were not excited about the diversion of funds. There is significant competition between the music department and the sports program. I suspect this is the case in many institutions. The sports programs are pretty good, but the music program is nationally recognized.
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If only Brett Favre’s daughter was a musician in the music department instead of a volleyball player at Southern Miss. Then the music department would have been the recipient of Brett’s “charity” (purely coincidentally of course). Or perhaps not coincidentally at all as “charity” for Republicans seems to be whatever benefits the people who matter to them regardless of their comparable need when others are starving.
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When the city of Jackson can’t or won’t provide clean water to its mostly high poverty, black population, and now talks about privatizing the water system as a solution, you know it’s corrupt.
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!!!!!
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Shame on Mississippi for using its social welfare dollars to build a volleyball training center suitable for Brett Favre’s daughter. Mississippi is among the poorest states, and there are lots of needy people and communities that could have benefited from these funds. This is a misuse of public dollars.
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That’s why there are four crooked letters in Mississippi.
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There is no I in team, but Mississippi is full of i’s, crooked characters and pp.
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S &M, too.
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Yes, the Brett Farve. Nothing is more infuriating than a former sports athlete and state government bilking money out of people living in poverty. This is so sick and disgusting.
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Just another spoiled Brett.
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Supreme Court Justass Brett K. is the epitome of a spoiled frat Brett.
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Farce, who, along with Jimmy Buffet is a famous SoMiss graduate, probably knew very little about where the money came from. He most likely lent his name blindly to the effort, but its effluent will certainly land on him rather than some government official.
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Going to the same college is where the similarity ends.
Jimmy Buffett has talent and contributed something of value to society.
Farve just threw a stupid ball.
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BTW, there is a text between Farve and the governor in which Farve asks for some of those welfare dollars to build a new volleyball facility for his daughter’s team.
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Aka: thanks. Did not hear that
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SDP: I was never a fan of Buffet’s until I saw a very small recognition at a cool aquarium in Panacea, FL. Seems he gave them a good chunk.
As for other alumni, I know only one, our present senator, a lady who is a Trumpist and an anathema. She shall remain nameless.
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Remove the “p” from our national “passtime” and you are left with an accurate portrayal.
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Typical Mississippi Madness! 😂 Sent from my iPhone
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