Former NFL QB Brett Favre revealed during his testimony at a congressional hearing on federal welfare reform on Tuesday that he was “recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease”. Parkinson’s disease is a condition that causes deterioration in the brain and affects motor skills; over one million people in the United States live with the disease and nearly 90,000 are diagnosed each year (according to the Parkinson’s Foundation.)
Favre, 54, was speaking before the House Ways and Means Committee in a discussion on “guardrails” regarding dispersing Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds — which saw nearly $8 million go to Favre, a volleyball stadium at University of Southern Mississippi and Prevacus, a defunct drug company backed by the Pro Football Hall of Famer.
Favre said during the House hearing: “Sadly, I also lost my investment in a company that I believed was developing a breakthrough concussion drug I thought would help others. As I’m sure you’ll understand, while it’s too late for me — I’ve recently been diagnosed with Parkinson’s — this is also a cause dear to my heart. Recently, the doctor running the company pleaded guilty to taking TANF money for his own use.”
Favre allegedly accepted $1.1 million in federal TANF funds through the state of Mississippi, allegedly accepting those funds in exchange for no-show speeches dating back to 2017. Favre also allegedly worked with a nonprofit organizer and former Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant to send $5 million in TANF funds to build a new volleyball arena at Southern Miss while his daughter played for the team. Favre added during his testimony: “I wanted to help my alma mater and benefit the community. Southern Miss introduced me to the nonprofit to see if they could help with funding. I had no way of knowing that there was anything wrong with how the state funded the project, especially since it was publicly approved by many state agencies and multiple attorneys including the Attorney General.”
Favre is not facing any criminal charges in the matter in question. He initially repaid $500,000 to Mississippi in May 2020 and the remaining $600,000 in October 2021; he said he didn’t realize the funds used at Southern Miss were intended for welfare recipients. Federal prosecutors alleged that Favre is one of 47 “well-connected people” who funneled $77 million in funds away from their intended recipients in one of the poorest states in the country, federal prosecutors alleged.
Favre retired from the NFL after the 2010 season, and was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2016. The 11-time Pro Bowl selection, three-time MVP and one-time Super Bowl champion ranks No. 4 all time in touchdown passes (508) and passing yards (71,838), with his 336 interceptions standing as the most in NFL history.
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