Brands ditch Brett Favre after ex-Packers QB's alleged involvement in $70 million Mississippi welfare scandal
Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre finds himself in the midst of a scandal. Text messages were leaked showing the quarterback conversing with the then-governor of Mississippi to siphon funds out of the welfare fund to go towards a new volleyball stadium for his daughter's school. As a result, many brands are dropping the Hall of Famer as a sponsor.
The full scale of the scandal is much worse than a few million dollars for a volleyball stadium as it has allegedly involved almost $77 million in welfare funds being directed elsewhere, some reportedly going to the quarterback himself.
Brands are usually quick to drop sponsors when anything controversial happens, and Favre's situation is no different. However, they're not being as public about it as one might expect.
According to Front Office Sports, two companies have quietly tried to remove the quarterback from their brand.
Odyssey Health makes a nasal concussion product and had the former NFL star as a sponsor, the main spokesperson, in fact. However, he is no longer listed on the company's sports advisory board, signaling that he is no longer involved.
Hallow, a Catholic prayer and meditation app, partnered with the former Green Bay Packers quarterback in 2018. His picture was still on the website, but any textual mention of the quarterback was removed.
Copper Fit and SiriusXM haven't gone as far as those two companies, though. SiriusXM has him listed as having a recent appearance on SiriusXM Blitz and Copper Fit still features him in commercials and online.
Is Brett Favre going to get in legal trouble?
It's a far too common occurrence that rich and powerful people tend to avoid legal trouble for their wrongdoings. Favre, who has a net worth of about $100 million, falls into the rich category.
His status in the state of Mississippi, where the wrongdoing occurred, and in NFL circles certainly makes him powerful.
It's less common for those people to even avoid any potential trouble, and Favre won't. NPR is reporting that a lawsuit has been filed against the former quarterback and others who misappropriated welfare funds.
That doesn't guarantee the quarterback will face genuine repercussions for his actions, but it is the start to that potential outcome. At the very least, it gives the legal system a chance to work how it's intended to.
This will very likely be a long and drawn out process and it could be years before any sort of verdict is reached, but Favre is certainly in hot water either way.