How HGTV's Ben Napier Got Wrapped Up In A Fraud Scandal
In 2022, the state of Mississippi began investigating a massive fraud scandal that involved 47 defendants, some of whom were recognizable names including Brett Favre, then-Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant, and shockingly, Ben Napier. However, it was later revealed that the HGTV fan favorite didn't really deserve to be wrapped up in the mess despite his connection to it.
The suit claimed that various defendants, including Favre, were actively involved in wrongfully appropriating and using welfare funds from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program to monetarily back a variety of projects dating back to 2017, such as a multi-million dollar volleyball facility at the University of Southern Mississippi. Other places and causes to which the money was channeled included a pharmaceutical company in which Favre is an investor and a football facility at the same southern institution.
When the lid blew on the scandal, Bryant released numerous texts between himself and the former pro footballer to prove his innocence, alleging that he didn't know why Favre asked for the welfare funds. Within those texts, one name stood out among the rest: Napier's. The tweets have since been deleted, but nothing on the internet is ever truly gone forever, and fans soon wanted to know just how implicated their beloved Laurel, Mississippi, resident was in the scandal.
Erin Napier publicly defended her husband
Ben Napier's wife, Erin Napier, was not about to let her husband's name get dragged through the mud. She was predominantly upset that Mississippi Today reporter Anna Wolfe had retweeted the text exchanges on X, formerly known as Twitter, particularly the part that named Ben, arguing that the "breaking news" element was a bit of a reach. Erin's retweet and response are no longer on the platform, but Heavy reports that the "Home Town" co-host asserted, "Ben didn't build lockers for anyone," referring to the governor's suggestion that he may have received some of the fraudulent funds in exchange for his woodworking skills.
She elaborated, "The governor texted asking him if he could recommend someone to build wooden lockers, and Ben offered a recommendation for a cabinet maker we work with. You should get total clarity on a fact like this before you tweet it." In her rush to get out "the facts," it appears that Wolfe did not thoroughly check her intel, but thankfully, she was willing to acknowledge her mistake. The reporter replied to Erin, "Thank you for responding! The public court file, attributed, and tweet say 'assisted with' locker construction, which sounds consistent with your account. I will further clarify now."
She then updated her statement and the receipts to prove it by including a screenshot of her convo with the HGTV star. "CLARIFICATION..." Wolfe posted, "Ben simply gave the gov a recommendation," also throwing in, "which of course, there's nothing wrong with."
The Napiers have many impressive connections
To say that the $77 million case was complex would be an understatement. "Home Town" stars Erin and Ben Napier had many previous run-ins with the then-governor of Mississippi, Phil Bryant. He was reportedly at the filming of their pilot episode, presented them with an official resolution at an event, and tweeted out his support on X, then Twitter, on more than one occasion. In the text chain, it was revealed that he even asked his co-defendant in the case, Brett Favre, to retweet the post to show support for Ben Napier, who "helped us with the lockers for the Volleyball Complex," according to the request.
However, the super cute couple have had plenty of interactions with other government officials over the years, and there have been no indications of nefarious behavior. In March 2022, a few months before Ben was named in the suit, they were recognized by the House of Representatives for their efforts to revive Laurel and promote tourism both there and in the state at large. A couple of years before that, Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith shared a photo of herself with the couple on Facebook, captioning it: "Ran into Mississippi's own Ben and Erin Napier from HGTV's Home Town! So proud of how they represent our state."
And, of course, they've been honored by numerous Mississippi charities and organizations, including the Napiers' alma mater, The University of Mississippi. It's just unfortunate that one of their relationships turned sour and, albeit momentarily, negatively impacted Ben's sterling reputation in the area.