Brett Favre is suing multiple former NFL players and Mississippi auditor Shad White for defamation, according to the Daily Mail on Thursday.
The retired NFL quarterback was revealed to have been part of a plan to use at least $5 million that would have gone to low-income families for personal gain. The funds were used to build a volleyball facility at the University of Southern Mississippi. It also has been revealed Favre used funds from his own charity for his own personal benefit.
Multiple government officials have been arrested or investigated for their involvement, but Favre has not faced any legal action and has continued to deny any wrongdoing, despite text messages revealed during civil court.
The 53-year-old has gone after the media, and it appears he will take legal action along with his vocal disputes.
“Shannon Sharpe and Pat McAfee tried to further their careers by making baseless defamatory allegations against Brett Favre,” a spokesperson for the former NFL QB told DailyMail.com.
The spokesperson added: “Shad White has done a disservice to the people of Mississippi. Here is some free advice for Shad White: Do what state auditors are supposed to do — fix the state’s failure to have controls in place to ensure that it properly safeguards the taxpayers’ money, not smear the reputations of private citizens to serve his own personal and political ambitions.”
Sharpe called Favre a “sorry mofo” when discussing the text messages that reveal his alleged involvement in the state welfare scandal on Fox Sports’ “Undisputed” on Sept. 14. McAfee said on his show on Nov. 30 that Favre’s scandal has to be mentioned whenever mention of the former NFL quarterback comes up.
When news broke Thursday of his name in the defamation lawsuit, McAfee simply pled the fifth via a GIF from the “Dave Chappelle Show.” An official spokesperson has not commented on behalf of McAfee or Sharpe.
“Everything Auditor White has said about this case is true and is backed by years of audit work by the professionals at the Office of the State Auditor,” White said in a statement via spokesperson, per Front Office Sports’ A.J. Perez. “It’s mind-boggling that Mr. Favre wants to have a trial about that question.
“Mr. Favre has called Auditor White and his team liars despite repaying some of the money our office demanded from him. He’s also claimed the auditors are liars despite clear documentary evidence showing he benefitted 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.”
It does not appear Favre will be taking that sound advice and will continue to fight against his alleged involvement in the Mississippi welfare fraud scandal, despite overwhelming evidence.
