Nancy New, who with her son, Zachary, ran a private education company in Mississippi, pleads guilty to state charges of misusing public money that was intended to help some of the poorest people in the nation, April 26, 2022, at Hinds County Circuit Court in Jackson, Miss. New said in a court document she directed $1.1 million in welfare money to former NFL star Brett Favre at the direction of former Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant.
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Welfare scandal highlights contrasts in long-poor Mississippi
In Mississippi, where elected officials have a long history of praising self-sufficiency and condemning federal anti-poverty programs, a welfare scandal has exposed how millions of dollars were diverted to the rich and powerful — including pro athletes — instead of helping some of the neediest people in the nation.
