During congressional hearing, Brett Favre discloses his Parkinson’s diagnosis | health

Brett Favre revealed on Tuesday that he was “recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease” during his testimony at a congressional hearing on federal welfare reform.

The Football Hall of Famer was speaking before the House Ways and Means Committee that was discussing “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, his alma mater, and Prevacus, a defunct drug company backed by the longtime NFL quarterback.

Favre, who performed 20 NFL seasons, together with 321 consecutive common season and playoff video games, estimated throughout a 2022 interview on the “The Bubba Army” radio present that he suffered “thousands” of concussions throughout his soccer profession.

Parkinson's illness is a situation that causes deterioration within the mind and impacts motor abilities. According to the Parkinson's Foundation, over a million individuals within the United States reside with the illness and practically 90,000 are recognized annually.

Favre stays tied to Mississippi welfare scandal

Favre allegedly accepted $1.1 million in federal TANF funds by means of the state of Mississippi. He allegedly accepted these funds in trade for no-show speeches courting again to 2017. Favre additionally allegedly labored with a nonprofit organizer and former Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant to ship $5 million in TANF funds to construct a brand new volleyball enviornment at Southern Miss whereas his daughter performed for the staff.

Favre was not arrested, and isn't dealing with any prison expenses within the matter. He is one in every of 47 “well-connected people” who funneled $77 million in funds away from their supposed recipients in one of many poorest states within the nation, federal prosecutors alleged.

Favre initially repaid $500,000 of his preliminary fee to Mississippi in May 2020 and the remaining $600,000 in October 2021. The state has been going after the curiosity ever since. Favre mentioned he didn’t understand the funds used at Southern Miss have been supposed for welfare recipients.

“I wanted to help my alma mater and benefit the community,” Favre advised Congress. “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.”