According to The Associated Press, the U.S. Federal Government is seeking to seize the home of former WWE superstar Ted Dibiase Jr, son of WWE Hall of Famer Ted Dibiase.
As noted back in February, DiBiase was among those indicted in the scandal, along with the former director of the Mississippi welfare agency others. It was alleged that Brett was given money to go to a drug treatment facility in Malibu, and that those funds were earmarked for welfare programs in the state. Brett was allegedly given the money as payment for classes that he didn’t reach on drug abuse. It was later reported that there was a DiBiase family connection as Heart of David Ministries, the non-profit religious organization ran by WWE Hall of Famer Ted DiBiase Sr., reportedly received more than $2.1 million in welfare from the state over a few years, after Brett had been working for the state. This came after the organization received just $5,000 in grants in 2013, but were paid $271,000 in welfare money, during the same year that Brett was hired to work in the Mississippi Department of Human Services as a senior official. Ted’s organization received as much as $900,000 one year.
Ted’s Heart of David Ministries spent the full amount it received, which was $2,126,739, from May 2017 through earlier this budget year. Ted was paid $84,517 as president of the organization. In a 2018 contract, Heart of David had pledged to “establish a network of partnerships, services and resources throughout Mississippi communities for faith-based and self activities” but there was no evidence on how all of the money was actually used. While the organization was receiving funds from the state, 98% of welfare requests were being turned down by Mississippi. Heart of David is no longer receiving any funds from the state of Mississippi. In another family connection, it was revealed that the Mississippi Community Education Center paid Bret’s brother, former WWE Superstar Ted DiBiase Jr., to provide training to human services employees in late 2018 and early 2019. A woman who answered the door at the home of Ted Jr. in Clinton, MS declined to comment, but did say that the Clarion Ledger, the original newspaper to break the scandal, has done “fictitious” reporting in the past.