Brett Favre Denies Wrongdoing, Blames 'Unjust' Media

Brett Favre has been silent for months on the subject of the Mississippi welfare fraud scandal swirling around him, but no longer: The NFL Hall of Fame quarterback released a lengthy statement to Fox News Digital in which he denies any wrongdoing. Favre insists he had no idea the money being raised for a volleyball facility at the University of Southern Mississippi came from a welfare fund. "I have been unjustly smeared in the media," Favre said in the exclusive statement. "I have done nothing wrong, and it is past time to set the record straight." The statement gets into much more detail; read it in full at Fox.

State auditor Shad White, who uncovered the alleged fraud, pushes back on Favre's claim, however, noting that while Favre may not have known specifically that the money was coming from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families fund, he knew it was from "programs that are geared toward helping the poor." "When we asked questions about ‘why did [Favre] get paid $1.1 million of welfare money?’ the non-profit gave us a contract ... that said Mr. Favre was supposed to give a keynote address and some speeches and cut a radio ad," White adds. "He had not given any of those speeches, [so] there was no justifiable reason for him to be paid that $1.1 million under TANF regs and the law."

Favre's lawyer responded to those allegations, telling Fox that Favre was never asked to speak anywhere, was never a "no-show," and did record a radio ad. Media outlets pushed back on Favre's statement: "Favre's statement is in direct opposition to texts that were released by Mississippi Today last month" in which the former governor of Mississippi instructs Favre on writing a proposal that would be accepted by the state Department of Human Services, Yahoo Sports says. TMZ similarly points out an apparent discrepancy: "Texts to an official appeared to show Favre knew what he was getting into ... with one reading, 'If you were to pay me is there any way the media can find out where it came from and how much?'" (More Brett Favre stories.)