Trump will campaign in Wisconsin with Brett Favre, who’s linked to a Mississippi welfare scandal

Donald Trump and Kamala Harris will crisscross respective plaything states connected Wednesday, passing each different successful Wisconsin, wherever nan erstwhile president is scheduled to look successful Green Bay pinch a onetime section icon, retired NFL backmost Brett Favre.

A longtime protagonist of Trump and different Republicans, Favre spent astir of his profession pinch nan Green Bay Packers, winning nan NFL’s Most Valuable Player grant 3 times and a Super Bowl. But nan Pro Football Hall of Famer has been successful nan news lately for a use ungraded successful his location authorities of Mississippi.

Favre, 55, is not facing immoderate criminal charges, but he is among much than 3 twelve group aliases groups being sued arsenic nan authorities tries to retrieve misspent money. Favre has repaid conscionable complete $1 cardinal he received successful speaking fees funded by nan Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program. Mississippi Auditor Shad White, a Republican, has said Favre ne'er showed up for nan speaking engagements. White besides said Favre still owes astir $730,000 successful interest.

Favre has posted and reposted societal media messages supporting Trump and criticizing Harris, nan Democratic statesmanlike nominee.

“In each nan elections I’ve seen complete my lifetime, I’ve ne'er seen 1 wherever location was truthful overmuch hate,” Favre posted Monday connected X. “It’s surely sad to see.”

With six days until Election Day, Harris will recreation from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, to Wisconsin’s capital, Madison, and past backmost southbound to Raleigh, North Carolina. Trump will beryllium moving successful nan other direction, heading to Green Bay aft an arena successful Rocky Mount, North Carolina.

The attraction connected Wisconsin is nary surprise. The Badger State is simply a perennial statesmanlike battleground, often decided by only a fewer 1000 votes. Trump won it successful 2016 by 23,000 votes and mislaid it successful 2020 to Democrat Joe Biden by 20,000 votes.

In relying connected Favre, Trump is tapping into nan state’s heavy and loyal support for nan Packers and nan team’s onetime prima quarterback. But Favre besides comes pinch accrued baggage aft becoming enmeshed successful Mississippi’s use spending scandal.

Mississippi has classed among nan poorest states for decades, but only a fraction of its national use money has been going to families. Instead, nan Mississippi Department of Human Services allowed well-connected group to discarded tens of millions of use dollars from 2016 to 2019, according to White and authorities and national prosecutors.

A nonprofit group called nan Mississippi Community Education Center made 2 payments of use money to Favre Enterprises, nan athlete’s business: $500,000 successful December 2017 and $600,000 successful June 2018. The TANF money was to spell toward a volleyball arena astatine nan University of Southern Mississippi. Favre agreed to lead fundraising efforts for nan installation astatine his alma mater, wherever his girl started playing connected nan volleyball squad successful 2017.

The Mississippi Community Education Center director, Nancy New, pleaded blameworthy successful April 2022 to charges of misspending use money, arsenic did her boy Zachary New, who helped tally nan nonprofit. They await sentencing and person agreed to attest against others.

Favre appeared successful September earlier a Republican-led legislature committee that was examining really states are falling short connected utilizing use to thief families successful need. U.S. House Republicans person said a Mississippi use misspending ungraded involving Favre and others points to nan request for “serious reform” successful nan TANF program.

Favre told nan legislature committee that he was diagnosed pinch Parkinson’s disease successful January.

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Wagster Pettus reported from Jackson, Mississippi.