Mississippi ex-governor expected stake in firm that got welfare money, says woman convicted in fraud
A person who previously pleaded guilty in a welfare misspending case in Mississippi is making new allegations about former Gov. Phil Bryant
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Former Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant said at a party weeks before leaving office that he had been offered a financial stake in a company that received welfare money to try to develop a concussion drug and was connected to retired NFL quarterback Brett Favre, according to a new court filing by a person convicted in a welfare misspending case.
Nancy New had a close working relationship with Favre and Bryant while the Republican was governor, and she made the allegation about Bryant in court papers Monday. New said that at a 2019 Christmas party, Bryant talked about Jake Vanlandingham, founder of the Florida-based biotech company Prevacus.
“Governor Bryant got excited and told me that Jake had offered him ‘half the company,’ which I understood to mean a substantial amount of stock, but the Governor said he was going to have to wait until he was out of office to accept,” New wrote.
The Associated Press left a voicemail message Wednesday at a number affiliated with Vanlandingham. He did not immediately respond.
