Former Inexperienced Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre stated he is been identified with Parkinson’s, a surprising disclosure made to Congress on Tuesday whereas testifying about his potential misuse of taxpayer cash.
Favre, showing earlier than the Home Methods and Means Committee, has been accused of improperly utilizing political connections to redirect public cash to his alma mater and his personal pocket.
“Sadly, I additionally misplaced an funding in an organization that I believed was growing a breakthrough concussion drug I believed would assist others, and I’m positive you’ll perceive why it’s too late for me as a result of I’ve lately been identified with Parkinson’s,” Favre informed lawmakers.
“That is additionally a trigger pricey to my coronary heart. Just lately, the physician, operating the corporate pleaded responsible to taking (public) cash for his personal use.”
Parkinson’s is a mind dysfunction that causes unintended or uncontrollable actions.
Signs, resembling shaking and issue with stability and coordination, steadily worsen over time and infrequently progress to issue strolling and speaking.
A historical past of taking part in soccer was related to a better danger of a self-reported analysis of Parkinson’s or parkinsonism, in line with a examine printed final yr within the journal JAMA Community Open.
The examine, primarily based on surveys of people that’d performed a spread of organized sports activities, discovered that former soccer gamers who had longer taking part in historical past and better degree of competitors have been extra prone to have a type of the situation.
The 54-year-old Favre, who performed 20 seasons within the NFL and was inducted to Canton in 2016, was in Washington on Tuesday to reply questions on how he got here into cash from the federal Short-term Help for Needy Households (TANF) program.
The Corridor of Fame QB improperly acquired program cash for talking engagements that he by no means made, in line with a state auditor.
Favre was additionally accused of utilizing his ties for former Gov. Phil Bryant to foyer for TANF funds to go to a brand new volleyball facility at his alma mater, the College of Southern Mississippi, the place his daughter was a participant.
Favre has not been criminally charged, however he’s repaying a few of the cash.
In his testimony on Tuesday, Favre insisted he did nothing improper and solely later discovered that the cash despatched to him for talking engagements and earmarked for volleyball got here from taxpayers.
U.S. Rep. Linda Sanchez, D-Calif., wasn’t impressed with Favre’s presentation.
She referred to as for “my Republican colleagues” to hitch “Democrats in passing significant TANF reforms so rich people like Brett Favre can now not make the most of our most susceptible.”