According to ESPN, Packers quarterback Brett Favre sued Pat McAfee, Shannon Sharpe, and Shad White, as well as the state auditor, in three separate defamation cases on Thursday.
A 2020 fraud case involving the misappropriation and theft of $77 million in welfare funds by nonprofit organizations and the Mississippi Department of Human Services is now involving Favre.
Tens of millions of dollars from the state’s welfare program were inappropriately utilized, according to a 2020 state audit. Favre still owes $228,000 in interest payments, according to the auditor’s office. In a statement last year, Favre claimed that he was being “unjustly vilified in the media,” denying that he was aware the money he received was assistance money.
In addition, White’s office, according to the report, was the first to find fraudulent spending. Favre has accused White of defamation and claims that the state auditor “shamelessly and falsely attacked Favre’s good name” in order to advance his political career. The lawsuit claims that White made egregiously false and defamatory claims against Favre, including that he had “stolen taxpayer cash” and purposely misused money “intended to help underprivileged people.”
In response to Favre’s complaint, Fletcher Freeman, a spokesman for the State Auditor’s office, said: “Everything Auditor White has said about this matter is correct and is supported by years of audit work by the professionals at the Office of the State Auditor.”
A state audit reveals that the athletic foundation at Favre’s alma mater, the University of Southern Mississippi, also received $5 million in TANF monies. Text conversations reveal that while his daughter was on the squad, Favre pressed state officials to provide funds for a new volleyball facility on campus.
“Mr. Favre has called Auditor White and his team liars despite repaying some of the money our office demanded from him,” Freeman said. “He’s also claimed the auditors are liars despite clear documentary evidence showing he benefited from misspent funds. Instead of paying New York litigators to try this case, he’d be better off fully repaying the amount of welfare funds he owes the state.”
Now Brett Favre has brought a claim against Pat McAfee, a former NFL punter and well-known sports broadcaster. The lawsuit claims that on “The Pat McAfee Show,” McAfee referred to Favre as a “thief” who was “taking from needy people in Mississippi.” McAfee is also charged with making identical statements on Twitter in the lawsuit.
