Brett Favre is returning the $1.1 million his company received from a Mississippi nonprofit for personal appearances Favre did not make, the state's auditor announced Wednesday.
Auditor Shad White said Favre has already sent back $500,000 and will repay the balance in installments over the next several months.
The money originally came from the state's Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program. It was sent to the Mississippi Community Education Center via the state's Department of Human Services, and then to Favre's company, Favre Enterprises. Payments were made in 2017 and 2018, according to a state audit of the DHS.
"I want to applaud Mr. Favre for his good faith effort to make this right and make the taxpayers and TANF families whole," White said in a prepared statement, per the Clarion-Ledger of Jackson, Miss. "To date, we have seen no records indicating Mr. Favre knew that TANF was the program that served as the source of the money he was paid."
The money will go back to the DHS and be used to pay for welfare-related programs, White added.
Favre is not facing criminal charges, state officials have said.
The audit of the DHS flagged as questionable $94 million in spending of welfare funds, including the $1.1 million to Favre Enterprises.
