JACKSON, Miss. — Former Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant on Thursday launched what he mentioned have been all of his textual content and e-mail messages associated to a welfare fraud investigation - together with cash spent on constructing a college volleyball enviornment that was pushed by NFL Hall of Famer Brett Favre.

The 436 pages of messages had a number of that already appeared in court docket filings, together with exchanges from 2017 to 2019 between the governor and the retired quarterback, with Favre saying he had agreed to lift cash for the volleyball facility on the University of Southern Mississippi and asking Bryant for assist with that effort.

From 2016 to 2019, the Mississippi Department of Human Services misspent greater than $77 million in welfare cash that was supposed to assist a few of the poorest folks within the U.S., based on the state auditor. Prosecutors have mentioned the division gave cash to nonprofit organizations that spent it on initiatives such because the $5 million volleyball facility on the Hattiesburg campus.

Bryant, a Republican, completed his second and ultimate time period as governor in January 2020. Weeks later, the primary legal fees have been filed in opposition to six folks, together with John Davis, a Department of Human Services director chosen by Bryant.

Bryant earned a level from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1977, greater than a decade earlier than Favre performed soccer there. Favre’s daughter began enjoying volleyball there in 2017.

Messages launched Thursday present Favre and Bryant mentioned the potential of monetary assist for the volleyball mission from Davis and Nancy New, a Bryant ally who ran a nonprofit group that had Human Services contracts to spend welfare cash.

PHOTOS: Mississippi ex-governor to launch texts in welfare scandal

Bryant has beforehand mentioned he discovered in July 2019 that welfare cash may need been misspent. In a textual content that month, Favre wrote to Bryant: “I want you to know how much I love Nancy New and John Davis. What they have done for me and Southern Miss is amazing.”

Favre wrote that he and New’s group “were planning to do workshops and youth clinics in the new Vball facility” however “I was informed today that she may not be able to fund her part. I and we need your help very badly Governor and sorry to even bring this up.”

Bryant responded: “I will handle that… long story but had to make a change. But I will call Nancy and see what it will take.”

Days later, Bryant texted Favre to say the state auditor was reviewing Human Services contracts.

“Don’t want to get anyone in trouble for improper expenditures,” Bryant wrote.

In a video posted on-line Thursday hours earlier than he launched textual content and e-mail messages, Bryant repeated what he has mentioned earlier than - that he was the 2019 whistleblower who instructed the auditor’s workplace about misdeeds on the Department of Human Services.

“The fact is, I did nothing wrong,” Bryant mentioned within the video. “I wasn’t aware of the wrongdoings of others. When I received evidence that suggested people appeared to be misappropriating funds, I immediately reported that to the agency whose job it is to investigate these matters.”

The Mississippi Department of Human Services, with a brand new director, filed a civil lawsuit final yr in opposition to Favre, three former professional wrestlers and greater than three dozen different folks and companies to attempt to get well greater than $20 million of the misspent cash from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families anti-poverty program.

No legal fees have been filed in opposition to Bryant, and he isn't being sued. Attorneys for a few of the defendants within the civil go well with have filed court docket papers that embrace text-message exchanges between Bryant, Favre and others about spending welfare cash on the volleyball enviornment.

In November, Bryant’s legal professional cited govt privilege in looking for to dam a subpoena that sought extra info from the previous governor. In March, three information organizations - the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal, the Mississippi Free Press and Mississippi Today - filed papers opposing Bryant’s effort to seal any info he would offer to the court docket.

“After much thought and discussion with counsel, I’ve made the decision to forgo any arguments about executive privilege on my text messages in this matter and simply release them all,” Bryant mentioned in Thursday’s video. “Frankly, I’m tired of paying legal fees to respond to lawsuits that I’m not a party to in order to protect my privacy and an executive privilege that should exist for future governors.”

Davis pleaded responsible final yr within the welfare misspending case, as did New. Like Bryant and Favre, New attended the University of Southern Mississippi. As a part of her responsible plea, she acknowledged her group directed welfare cash towards the volleyball enviornment and a pharmaceutical mission backed by Favre. No legal fees have been introduced in opposition to Favre.

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