Former NFL quarterback Brett Favre, who was paid by the state of Mississippi more than $1 million in welfare funds meant for poor families and who allegedly pushed to funnel millions more toward his associates’ projects, pointed fingers at others during his congressional testimony Tuesday on the misuse of federal welfare funds. During his prepared remarks, Favre also revealed he’s been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.
Despite texts that show Favre sought to keep his receipt of the funds confidential, Favre has said he didn’t know the money came from federal funds intended for poor people. He’s paid the money back, but he’s being sued by the state of Mississippi for hundreds of thousands of dollars in interest that accrued on the money he received. Favre hasn’t been accused of any criminal wrongdoing.
On Tuesday, Favre sought to frame himself as a victim, referencing “the challenges my family and I have faced over the last three years because certain government officials in Mississippi failed to protect federal TANF funds from fraud and abuse.” Favre claimed these “challenges” were “worse than anything I faced in football.” And he took shots at Shad White, the Mississippi auditor who’s accused him of misusing the funds, claiming White has tarnished his reputation to “try to advance his own political career.” White, whom Favre is also suing for defamation, published a book this summer about the welfare abuse case and told the Mississippi Clarion-Ledger that “the litigation that [Favre] has against me is based on three statements that I made, all of which are factual.”
Favre was invited to testify as a guest of Missouri Rep. Jason Smith, one of several House Republicans who have promoted major changes to restrict access to federal welfare funds. Smith thanked Favre for attending the hearing on Tuesday, and it’s clear what benefits both men extracted from the appearance: Smith got MAGA enthusiast Brett Favre to peddle rhetoric that raises doubts about the efficacy of welfare, lending his name to conservative efforts to curtail the program under the guise of preventing “waste”; in return, Favre got a chance to plead his case on a national stage.