'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Brett Favre and his legacy have taken a major hit, following the revelation that he received $5 million dollars from the Mississippi welfare fund. Many analysts and pundits have taken their shots at the former Green Bay Packers quarterback. You can add Stephen A. Smith to the list.
On a recent edition of the ESPN morning show 'First Take,' Smith said that if found guilty, the quarterback should be put behind bars.
"If he is found to be guilty of these allegations that have been levied against him ... when you're taking from the poor, the desolate, and the disenfranchised for your own selfish purposes, to hell with the Hall of Fame stuff. He should be in jail if that is found to be true. And I say 'if' because we don't know."
The 52-year-old has already been suspended from Sirius XM and was let go by ESPN radio station 94.5 WKTI-FM in Milwaukee over the welfare scandal. His charitable foundation, Favre4Hope, is now entangled in this fraud.
Brett Favre and his foundation involved in Mississippi welfare fraud scandal
The quarterback's charity foundation, which helps disadvantaged children and cancer patients, donated over $130K to his alma mater, the University of Southern Mississippi from 2018 to 2020. This was also the timeframe in which he was seeking to fund a new volleyball center at the university.
In 2018, tax records show that Favre4Hope gave the University of Southern Mississippi's Athletic Foundation $60K when no other charity got over $10K that year. The foundation donated approximately $46,817 to the university in 2019. The next highest donation was to the Special Olympics of Mississippi, worth $11K.
In 2020, Favre4Hope sent the school's athletic foundation exactly $26,175. No other organization received over $10K.
Many experts are questioning these donations by the three-time NFL MVP's foundation because they seem to contradict their mission. As of now, the quarterback has not been criminally charged for his role in the welfare fraud. However, it's not the best look as this welfare scandal shows no signs of going away anytime soon.
If you use any of the above quotes, please credit First Take and H/T Sportskeeda.
