Favre’s lawyers, meanwhile, argued in a brief that the ruling was a misinterpretation of Sharpe’s comments. “Here, a reasonable listener could and would have interpreted Sharpe’s repeated statements to the effect that Favre ‘stole money’ from ‘the underserved’ as factual assertions about Favre.”
Sharpe’s attorneys argued in their own legal brief that the judge’s ruling was correct, writing that Sharpe’s words were “loose, figurative language between media commentators about a significant public controversy important to the discourse of our nation.”
New also diverted millions in funds from the TANF program to a pharmaceutical company Favre maintained an investment into, Prevacus. Unlike Favre, however, the founder of Prevacus, Jake VanLandingham, Davis, and New are all facing criminal charges related to their actions. According to The Free Press, the State of Mississippi is still trying to recover funds from Favre, which are related to both Prevacus and the University of Southern Mississippi’s volleyball project, through a civil lawsuit that is targeting dozens of organizations and individuals that the MDHS believes took the misused TANF funds.
According to the civil lawsuit, “Favre understood that the TANF Funds that MCEC paid to the Foundation were “grant funds” that were paid on his behalf. Favre knew that John Davis was providing grant funds from MDHS to MCEC for construction of the volleyball facility, and he knew that MDHS is Mississippi’s “welfare agency.” Favre discussed the source of the funding — MDHS — with Jon Gilbert. And Favre texted Jake VanLandingham regarding Nancy New: “She has strong connections and gave me five million for the Vball facility via grant money.”
RELATED CONTENT: Shannon Sharpe Signs Multiyear Deal With ESPN After Leaving FS1 Less Than A Year Ago
Source: Black Enterprise
