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Xuan Thai
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Xuan Thai
ESPN Senior Author
- Xuan Thai is a senior author and producer in ESPN’s investigative and enterprise unit. She was beforehand deputy bureau chief of the south area for NBC Information.
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Anthony Olivieri
Corridor of Fame quarterback Brett Favre disclosed throughout a congressional listening to on Tuesday that he was just lately recognized with Parkinson’s illness, a degenerative nervous system dysfunction that causes elements of the mind to deteriorate and impacts motion.
Showing earlier than a Home Methods and Means Committee listening to on welfare reform, Favre spoke about Prevacus, an organization making a concussion drug that obtained $2 million of Non permanent Help for Needy Households (TANF) funds. Favre was the highest investor in Prevacus, and textual content messages present he started asking state officers for assist securing funds for the corporate in November 2018.
“Sadly, I additionally misplaced an funding in an organization that I believed was creating a breakthrough concussion drug I believed would assist others,” Favre stated throughout opening remarks. “And I am certain you will perceive why it is too late for me, as a result of I’ve just lately been recognized with Parkinson’s. That is additionally a trigger pricey to my coronary heart.”
A 2020 study discovered that having a single concussion elevated the danger of creating Parkinson’s illness by 57% and having a number of concussions additional compounds the hazard.
When requested in a 2018 interview what number of concussions he suffered, Favre, 54, stated he is aware of of solely “three or 4” however believes he could have suffered more than 1,000 concussions throughout his 20-season NFL profession.
“When you have got ringing of the ears, seeing stars, that is a concussion,” Favre informed the “Immediately” present. “And if that may be a concussion, I’ve had tons of, perhaps hundreds, all through my profession, which is scary.”
The revelation about his well being overshadowed Favre’s testimony about TANF, the welfare funds on the coronary heart of the sprawling Mississippi case during which he has been embroiled since 2022. At least $77 million in TANF funds, earmarked for poor households, had been diverted to the wealthy and highly effective, based on a 2019 Mississippi state audit. Favre is one among dozens of defendants in a lawsuit looking for to recoup the misappropriated funds. He has denied wrongdoing and has not been criminally charged.
In July, Prevacus’ founder, Jacob VanLandingham, turned the seventh particular person to plead guilty for his or her involvement within the welfare case, admitting that he used Mississippi welfare cash to repay playing and different money owed.
Throughout the listening to, Favre referred to as for extra federal oversight of TANF funds. The NFL legend stated the welfare scandal had upended his life.
“I used to be nicely obtained just about anyplace I went. That modified, understandably so. The truth that I used to be branded an individual who stole welfare cash, that is the lowest of the low,” he stated. “And it could not be farther from the reality.”
Favre stated he did not know what TANF funds had been when looking for funding for Prevacus and a volleyball facility at his alma mater, the College of Southern Mississippi. He additionally obtained $1.1 million in TANF funds for speeches the state auditor says he by no means made. He ultimately paid again the cash.
“I had no manner of figuring out that there was something unsuitable with how the state funded the venture,” he stated.
Textual content messages from 2017 present Favre requested if there was “any manner the media can discover out” the place the cash got here from and the way a lot. He additionally requested, “Will the general public notion be that I turned a spokesperson for varied state funded shelters, faculties, properties and so on….. and was compensated with state cash? Or can we hold this confidential.”
Favre stated state auditor Shad White, whose workplace uncovered the fraud, is “an bold public official who determined to tarnish my popularity to attempt to advance his personal political profession.”
“The challenges my household and I confronted during the last three years as a result of sure authorities officers in Mississippi failed to guard federal TANF funds from fraud and abuse and are unjustifiably making an attempt responsible me, these challenges have damage my good identify and are worse than something I confronted in soccer,” he stated.
White, who Favre is suing for defamation, informed ESPN that he was not requested to testify on the congressional listening to.
Favre, who’s below a gag order within the civil lawsuit, additionally stated the state of Mississippi is utilizing TANF funds to pay attorneys Adam Stone and Kaytie Pickett of legislation agency Jones & Walker to sue him and different defendants. Stone and Pickett declined to remark, citing the gag order.
Favre, who performed for the Atlanta Falcons, Inexperienced Bay Packers, New York Jets and Minnesota Vikings, confronted a principally pleasant panel on the listening to, with many praising his soccer profession and thanking him for showing earlier than the committee. He signed a Packers jersey earlier than leaving.
“I am not mad at you about a lot,” stated Rep. Drew Ferguson (R-GA). “However I am mad you could not stick with the Atlanta Falcons.”
Favre confronted essentially the most direct questions on his involvement within the welfare fraud from Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA). She requested if Favre had paid the curiosity White had demanded on the TANF funds he obtained and if he believed “it’s acceptable to divert TANF funds away from girls who want it essentially the most.”
Favre answered no to each.
Rep. John Larson (D-CT) informed ESPN that committee chairman Jason Smith (R-MO) requested Favre to testify due to his superstar, regardless of his lack of awareness on TANF. Smith didn’t reply to an interview request.
Jarvis Dortch, the Government Director for American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi, who additionally testified on the listening to, identified the discrepancy between how peculiar individuals and celebrities like Favre are handled.
“If somebody in Mississippi is…accused of misspending $50 in SNAP advantages, that particular person’s life can be turned the wrong way up,” stated Dortch. “Mr. Favre is true right here, and he’s accused of misspending 1,000,000 {dollars}, and he is talking earlier than Congress. One thing is unsuitable once we let that keep in place.”
ESPN reporter Shwetha Surendran contributed to this report.
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