Mississippi Swindle: Brett Favre and the Welfare Scandal That Shocked America

Mississippi state auditor White delivers a gripping if overripe look at an ongoing fraud case. In 2019, Mississippi governor Phil Bryant informed White that the head of a state agency “might be receiving a kickback.” From there, White unraveled a scheme originating with heiress and influential political donor Nancy New, who managed a nonprofit called the Mississippi Community Education Center. New’s foundation received funding from the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program under the pretense that she and her son would distribute it to Mississippi’s poorest residents. Instead, White alleges, she used the money—nearly $100 million—to make personal purchases and curry favor with politicians and celebrities across the state, including NFL star Brett Favre, for whom she promised to build a volleyball stadium at his alma mater. The case’s particulars are infuriating, and White smoothly integrates esoteric accounting details into a narrative paced like a thriller. Unfortunately, his inflated rhetoric and chest-puffing heroism are likely to rub readers the wrong way. It’s a mixed bag. Agent: Margaret Danko, Paper Over Board. (Aug.)