The latest chapter in the Brett Favre welfare fraud saga comes via new report which details how two companies backed by the Hall of Fame quarterback allegedly took millions of dollars in welfare funds, and lied about the effectiveness of their products,
Pharmaceutical companies Prevacus and PresolMD, both founded by Jake VanLandingham and backed by Favre, have been trying to develop a nasal spray and cream that are intended to limit and prevent concussions. Both companies allegedly secured $2.1 million in welfare funds that were intended for needy families in Mississippi, ESPN reports.
A civil lawsuit filed by the state shows the funds came through the Mississippi Community Education Center, run by Nancy New, who in April pleaded guilty to bribery of a public official, fraud against the government, wire fraud, and racketeering.
“I had no idea this was welfare money, and I’ve always been an upstanding person when it comes to research,” VanLandingham told ESPN.
Additionally, Prevacus and PresolMD allegedly exaggerated the effectiveness of their drugs, and overstated their connections to the NFL, with both companies claiming to have “provided product samples and cultivated relationships with six NFL Active Teams.”
However, a spokesperson for the NFL downplayed both companies’ connections to the league, telling ESPN, “The league office was contacted by this organization but provided no funding or any resources in support of its efforts.”
Favre declined to comment on ESPN’s report. While speaking with Fox News in October, the former Green Bay Packers quarterback denied having any idea that the funds in question were allocated to a welfare program.
“No one ever told me, and I did not know, that funds designated for welfare recipients were going to the University or me,” Favre said. “I tried to help my alma mater USM, a public Mississippi state university, raise funds for a wellness center. My goal was and always will be to improve the athletic facilities at my university.”
Favre has previously been accused of plotting to divert welfare money to the construction of a new volleyball facility at Favre’s alma mater, the University of Southern Mississippi, where his daughter currently plays.
