Brett Favre, testifying at welfare fraud hearing, reveals he has Parkinson's

Testifying Tuesday before the House Ways and Means Committee, Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre said in a prepared statement that he was recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

Favre, 54, was testifying about welfare abuses in Mississippi and allegations that he and others used Temporary Assistance for Needy Families state funds for personal and corporate gains. Favre, who earned about $140 million during a 20-year NFL career that ended in 2010, said in his statement that he was unaware he was receiving welfare funds and was misled by public officials.

A Mississippi state audit found that $5 million in TANF funds paid for the construction of a volleyball arena at the University of Southern Mississippi — Favre’s alma mater — and that $1.7 million was paid to Prevacus, a company developing concussion medication. Favre’s daughter was a volleyball player at Southern Mississippi at the time and Favre is an investor in Prevacus, whose founder, Jacob VanLandingham, pleaded guilty to wire fraud in July.

Favre, who has not been charged criminally, repaid $1.1 million in TANF money for speeches he never gave. The Mississippi Department of Human Services filed a civil lawsuit against him and other defendants, citing text messages between Favre and officials as evidence of his involvement in embezzling funds.

Favre, a Green Bay Packers legend, played in more than 300 NFL games and has long advocated research into concussions and resulting brain trauma. Asked on the “Today” show in 2018 how many concussions he suffered, Favre replied that he was diagnosed with “three or four” but believed the true number was far higher.

“When you have ringing of the ears, seeing stars, that’s a concussion,” Favre said on the show. “And if that is a concussion, I’ve had hundreds, maybe thousands, throughout my career, which is frightening.”

A 2020 study published in the journal Family Medicine and Community Health determined that “regardless of age, sex, socioeconomic status and residence, having suffered a single concussion in one’s lifetime increased the likelihood of later being diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease by 57%.”

“Sadly, I also lost an investment in a company that I believed was developing a breakthrough concussion drug I thought would help others, and I’m sure you’ll understand why it’s too late for me because I’ve recently been diagnosed with Parkinson’s,” Favre told the House committee Tuesday.

Favre was portrayed in court filings in the embezzlement case as a willing participant in the scheme that allegedly diverted millions of dollars meant for the poorest people in the nation’s poorest state.

Court documents and text messages outlined his alleged involvement in diverting TANF money. Favre and then-Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant discussed via text using $5 million to help build the volleyball arena at Southern Mississippi.

Favre also exchanged text messages with Nancy New, executive director of the education center responsible for allocating millions in government funds.

“If you were to pay me, is there any way the media can find out where it came from and how much?” Favre reportedly asked her in 2017.

New, who later pleaded guilty to 13 felony counts of fraud, bribery and racketeering for her role in the theft of TANF funds, replied: “We never have that information publicized.”

Journalist Anna Wolfe of Mississippi Today revealed the payouts in a Pulitzer Prize-winning series of articles starting in April 2022.