Brett Favre not expected to invoke fifth amendment in welfare case
The phrase, “I plead the fifth,” is not something Brett Favre will be saying as it relates to his alleged welfare scandal case. Per Front Office Sports, the former NFL quarterback will not invoke the Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination.
Favre is among 40 defendants in a civil case that alleges he knowingly took money from a state welfare fund in Mississippi. That money was then donated to the University of Southern Miss for athletic facilities.
In the latest court filings, it’s stated that Favre does not plan to invoke the Fifth Amendment. Federal criminal defense attorney Matt Tympanick doesn’t believe that’s the wisest move for the former Green Bay Packer.
“Favre is playing a very dangerous game,” Tympanick told Front Office Sports. “Though his statements made during these proceedings cannot come as direct evidence in a potential criminal case, they could come as impeachment evidence if Favre were to take the stand.”
Favre has maintained his innocence through the allegations.
Brett Favre petitioned to be dismissed from civil case
Favre has made continued attempts to be dismissed from the civil case regarding the welfare scandal. The latest came in May, petitioning the Mississippi Supreme Court.
In April, Hinds County Circuit Judge Faye Peterson denied Favre’s request. Now, the former Green Bay Packers star asks the Mississippi Supreme Court to overrule her decision.
The lawsuit comes from the Mississippi Department of Human Services. It claims that money from the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program was improperly distributed.
Among the claims, it’s alleged that $5 million went towards a volleyball arena at the University of Southern Mississippi — where Favre’s daughter played. An additional $1.7 million went towards the development on a drug for concussion treatment.
Favre does not currently face any criminal charges.
When reports first circulated about the quarterback’s involvement, he denied any knowledge of the situation. He released a statement in October 2022.
“I have been unjustly smeared in the media,” Favre said in his statement. “I have done nothing wrong, and it is past time to set the record straight.
“No one ever told me, and I did not know, that funds designated for welfare recipients were going to the University or me. I tried to help my alma mater USM, a public Mississippi state university, raise funds for a wellness center. My goal was and always will be to improve the athletic facilities at my university.”