Pro Football Hall of Famer Brett Favre announced today that he was recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, a revelation made during his testimony at a congressional hearing on federal welfare reform.
Favre appeared before the House Ways and Means Committee today in connection to his involvement in the Mississippi welfare scandal that saw millions of dollars in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families funds improperly funneled to other uses, including such Favre-related projects as a volleyball stadium for the college his daughter attends and a company called Prevacus that was developing a drug to treat concussion. Watch Favre’s testimony below.
In his statement at the hearing today, Favre said: “Sadly, I also lost my 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, 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 is not facing criminal charges in the matter, though federal prosecutors have contended he was one of nearly 50 “well-connected people” who helped funnel $77 million in funds away from the intended “needy families.” Favre reportedly repaid a half-million dollars to Mississippi in 2020 and another $600,000 in 2021.
Favre has said he was unaware that the funds were intended for welfare recipients. “When this started, I didn’t know what TANF was,” he said today, putting the blame for the situation on “certain government officials in Mississippi [who] failed to protect federal TANF funds from fraud and abuse and are unjustifiably trying to blame me.”
Favre said the challenges to his “good name” were “worse than anything I faced in football.”
“I wanted to help my alma mater and benefit the community,” he told Congress today. “[The University Of Southern Mississippi] 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.
“We need mechanisms for oversight of TANF spending and greater clarity as to permissible use of TANF funds,” he said, urging Congress to pass reforms that would apply “guardrails” to TANF spending.
While today was the first time Favre has discussed his Parkinson’s diagnosis publicly, he has been outspoken about the numerous concussions he suffered during his long career as an NFL quarterback, at points estimating that he likely experienced hundreds or even thousands over 20 years. He played most of his career with the Green Bay Packers, winning the Super Bowl after the 1996 season and being the only player to be named league MVP for three consecutive years.
Parkinson’s disease is a progressive brain disorder that causes unintended or uncontrollable movements, such as shaking, stiffness and difficulty with balance and coordination.
