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July 15,2022
The Honorable Merrick B. Garland
United States Departmentof Justice
950 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, D.C. 20530-0001
RE: Request for Federal Investigation into Former Governor Phil Bryant's Embezzlement
of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Funds
It has come to my attention that the State of Mississippi has consistently misspent Temporary
Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds. Specifically, Governor Phil Bryant is alleged to
have steered money toward individuals who did not meet the criteria for eligibility.
In 2018, the Mississippi Department of Human Services (MDHS) received $135 million in
TANF dollars, yet $77 millionofthose dollars were misdirected due to the influence of the
govemor's office. The govemor's influence was blatantly apparent in a conversation between
retired NFL quarterback Brett Favre and a contractor regarding the new MDHS Director,
Christopher Freeze's attentiveness to where funds werebeingdirected. In the text message
conversation, Brett Favre referred to another conversation where the new director was classified
as “not being their type”, the contractor responded, “well we may need the governor to make him
our type"! Governor Phil Bryant, has clearly taken actions consistent with ensuring
Mississippi's poorest citizens are denied welfare funds meant to benefit their households.
Mississippi Auditor Shad White has identified numerous questionable and possibly illegal
expenditures relative to the misspent TANF funds in a 2020auditreport. Phil Bryant should have
known better than to do what he did with this funding meant for families in need.
In January of 2016, Governor Phil Bryant announced his appointmentof John Davis, the former
directorofthe Mississippi Departmentof Human Services and oneofsix indicted on
embezzlement charges for the misuseofwelfare funds. In July of 2016, The Mississippi
Community Education Center (MCEC), one of the non-profit organizations intertwined in the
scheme, received $11.4 million in funding for FY2017 after receiving roughly $1. million from
MDHS the previous year. In July of 2017, MDHS doubled its funding for FY2018 to MCEC to
$22.4 million. In October of 2017, MCEC used federal welfare dollars to pay $5 million in cash
1 Alex McDaniel, Bret Favre Solicited Welfre Monefrom Mississipi, and Is Time 0 Pay Up,
hitps://www.clarionledger.com/story/sports/2022/05/13/brett-favre-solicited-welfare-money-mississippi-time-pay-
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to builda state-of-the-art volleyball facility on the University of Souther Mississippi campus. In
Septemberof 2018, the accountant for MCEC conspired to transfer at least $2 millionoffunds
from MDHS to personal accounts. In Januaryof2019, there was an illegal transferof$750,000
MCEC funds for a personal investment in a medical technology company in Florida, which was
the first of many illegal transfers. In October of 2019, there was an illegal transfer of$2.1
million from MCEC to two Florida companies using Mississippi Welfare funds.
Previously, the court evidence showed that the funds were misspent under the leadership of
former Governor Phil Bryant amidst speculation that Bryant was directly involved. We now
know from a Hinds County Court filing that Govemor Bryant has been formally accused of
directing the MS DHS to direct $1.1 million to Brett Favre. The people of Mississippi are
entitled to a proper investigation into the embezzlement ofTANF funding meant for families in
need. Itis egregious that news reports produce critical information that has yet to be addressed in
the current investigations by state and local agencies.
“This gross misuse ofTANF dollars must illicit a reviewofformer Govemor Phil Bryant's
involvement. Such an investigation should also examine the intolerable activityofretired NFL
‘quarterback Brett Favre and how his actions were aided by Govemor Bryant.
Turge you to work with the Departmentof Health and Human Services to conducta federal
investigation into the Mississippi TANF embezzlement scheme that centers around the role of
former Governor Phil Bryant. The people of Mississippi deserve answers, and accountability for
breaking the law must he upheld for all who were involved: especially for Governor Bryant.
Ifyou have any questions or concerns, please contact Claytrice Henderson in my Washington,
DIC. office at 202-225-5876 or via email at claytrice henderson(@mail house gov. No one,
especially our elected officials, is above the law.
Sincerely,
Bennie G. Thompson
MemberofCongress
