05/09/25 04:30:00
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05/09 16:28 CDT Brett Favre's defamation lawsuit against Mississippi auditor
will move forward, court says
Brett Favre's defamation lawsuit against Mississippi auditor will move forward,
court says
By SOPHIE BATES
Associated Press
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) --- A defamation lawsuit filed by retired NFL quarterback
Brett Favre against Mississippi Auditor Shad White for his comments on a
welfare scandal will move forward after Mississippi's Supreme Court on Thursday
denied White's appeal to dismiss the lawsuit.
"The facts of this case have not changed and Auditor White will continue to
defend himself from this ridiculous and frivolous lawsuit," White's office said
in a statement.
In March, White asked the court to overturn a ruling by Hinds County Circuit
Judge Debra Gibbs, who denied White's initial dismissal request.
"The continued litigation of this case not only threatens important First
Amendment rights. Equally if not more worrisomely, it discourages public
servants from doing their jobs," White's appeal read.
Favre filed the defamation lawsuit in 2023. It alleges White falsely accused
Favre of stealing taxpayer funds in media appearances and in White's 2024 book,
"Mississippi Swindle: Brett Favre and the Welfare Scandal that Shocked America."
Favre is among more than three dozen people sued by the state in an attempt to
recover misspent welfare dollars through the Temporary Assistance for Needy
Families program. More than $1 million in TANF funds were funneled through a
nonprofit and used to help pay for a $5 million volleyball facility at the
University of Southern Mississippi, Favre's alma mater. Favre's daughter played
volleyball at the university starting in 2017.
Favre has repaid $1.1 million, but White is suing the Pro Football Hall of Fame
member, saying Favre still owes about $730,000 because interest caused growth
in the original amount he owed.
Favre has not faced any criminal charges related to the scandal and has denied
any wrongdoing. He said he did not know the funds were designated for welfare
recipients and was attempting to help his alma mater.
The defamation lawsuit now returns to Hinds County Circuit Court. The
Associated Press has contacted White's office
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