No criminal charges have been brought against Favre, although a former welfare department director and other people have pleaded guilty to their part in the misspending.
Mississippi has ranked among the poorest states in the U.S. for decades, but only a fraction of its federal welfare money has been going toward direct aid to families.
The congressional Republicans linked their concerns about fraud to Mississippi’s sprawling corruption scandal.
‘We will vigorously defend this case and ensure the people of Mississippi that the press will not be intimidated.’
From 2016 to 2019, the Mississippi Department of Human Services misspent more than $77 million in money from the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families program.
The lawsuit claims Mississippi Today slandered Phil Bryant by misrepresenting his role in the welfare fund scandal.
