The Mississippi journalist who uncovered how Republican Governor Phil Bryant used welfare money to enrich his friends, benefactors and cronies like former NFL quarterback Brett Favre is now preparing for an extended stay in jail for refusing to divulge her sources during a defamation suit the governor filed, NBC News reports.
Anna Wolfe uncovered tens of millions of dollars in questionable or illegal payments directed by Bryant, initially looking into why Mississippi rejects 90% of welfare applicants but still collected and distributed the money. Bryant brought the suit against Wolfe’s employer, Mississippi Today, saying he was never charged in the scandal and therefore the characterization of his actions as criminal was defamatory. “I didn’t sue them because they exposed $77 million worth of misspending. He applauds them for doing that,” Bryant’s lawyer said. “The suit is about defamation.”