Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Why hasn’t Brett Favre been indicted?

Why hasn’t former Gov. Phil Bryant been indicted?

One could argue that Mississippi Auditor Shad White has prosecuted others for much less during his time in office than the crimes Favre and Bryant have been linked to in the state’s massive welfare fraud case. Those alleged crimes led, in part, to the construction of a volleyball facility at the University of Southern Mississippi, where Favre played football and where his daughter plays volleyball.

In addition to the $5 million Favre clearly sought from the state for the volleyball arena, the allegations include Favre lobbied for $2.1 million in welfare money, which he sought for a pharmaceutical start-up company in which he was investing.

White has pushed for the return of the money from Favre, so why no criminal charges? We know White can act swiftly in charging others with criminal charges because he did so recently in Natchez against the former city clerk and deputy clerk. Those charges were recently dropped.

It seems Favre and his lawyers have adopted the strategy of going on the offensive, filing a defamation lawsuit against White and two sportscasters for sullying his reputation and seeking to get out of a civil suit filed against him by the Mississippi Department of Human Services, which is trying to recoup some of the $7 million they alleged Favre funneled away from the poorest Mississippians.

The nonprofit Mississippi Today produced an incredibly thorough investigative series called The Backchannel, that lays out step-by-step Bryant and Favre’s involvement in securing the welfare funds. Text messages show plainly both men knew exactly what they were doing.

The text messages between the two alone make Favre’s public relations campaign to convince others of his boy-like innocence in the welfare fraud all the more stunning.

Apparently, Favre takes Mississippians for fools. If we let him get away with the misuse of money intended to help the neediest among us, we will prove him right.

Brett Favre should be indicted and stand trial in a court of law, where he would have an opportunity to prove his innocence.