Brett Favre reveals Parkinson’s diagnosis
Brett Favre revealed during a congressional hearing on Tuesday that he was recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, a brain disorder that can cause stiffness, tremors and uncontrollable movements.
The Hall of Fame quarterback appeared before the House Ways and Means Committee while testifying about his alleged misuse of taxpayer money, NBC News reports. Favre was accused of exploitation his political connections to pocket welfare money intended for families in Mississippi.
“Unfortunately, I also lost an investment in a company that I believed was developing a breakthrough concussion drug that I thought would help others, and I’m sure you’ll understand why it’s too late for me, because for me recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s. “, Favre said in his opening statement, referring to the pharmaceutical company Prevacus, whose founder, Jacob VanLandingham, pleaded guilty to fraud in July, he admitted to using Mississippi welfare funds to pay off gambling and other debts.
“This is also a matter that is close to my heart. Recently, the doctor who ran the company pleaded guilty to taking [public] money for my own use,” Favre told lawmakers.
The former NFL star improperly received money from the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program for speeches he never gave. He was also accused of lobbying former Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant for TANF funds for a new volleyball facility at the University of Southern Mississippi, where Favre attended college and where his daughter was an athlete.
Favre has not been criminally charged. He paid back some of the money.
Favre played twenty seasons in the NFL, sixteen of which were for the Green Bay Packers. A Super Bowl champion, Favre won the NFL MVP award three times and reached the Hall of Fame. He was the first quarterback to win against all 32 NFL teams, and he holds the record for most consecutive games started by any NFL player, with 297.
