NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A federal appeals courtroom refused Monday to revive a defamation lawsuit that former NFL quarterback Brett Favre filed towards a fellow Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame member — former tight finish Shannon Sharpe.

Favre’s filed the lawsuit over feedback Sharpe made in 2022 on a Fox Sports activities present amid a growing Mississippi welfare scandal involving hundreds of thousands of {dollars} diverted to wealthy and highly effective folks.

Mississippi State Auditor Shad White stated Favre improperly acquired $1.1 million in talking charges to go towards a volleyball area at The College of Southern Mississippi, the place Favre had performed soccer and the place his daughter was enjoying volleyball. The charges had been from a nonprofit group that spent Momentary Help for Needy Households cash with approval from the state Division of Human Providers.

Sharpe stated Favre was “taking from the underserved,” that he “stole cash from folks that basically wanted that cash” and that somebody must be a sorry individual “to steal from the bottom of the low.”

Favre was not charged with breaking the legislation and had paid again $1.1 million. White stated in a courtroom submitting in February that Favre nonetheless owed $729,790 as a result of curiosity precipitated progress within the unique quantity he owed.

Favre sued Sharpe over his criticism on the present. A federal district choose tossed the swimsuit, and the fifth U.S. Circuit Court docket of Appeals rejected Favre’s enchantment Monday.

The ruling stated Sharpe’s feedback had been constitutionally protected opinions based mostly on publicly recognized information.

“His statements are higher considered as strongly acknowledged opinions concerning the broadly reported welfare scandal,” Decide Leslie Southwick wrote in Monday’s opinion on behalf of a unanimous three-judge appellate panel.

Southwick stated alleged inaccuracies in Sharpe’s feedback had been corrected through the present by Sharpe’s co-host, who famous that Favre was not criminally charged and had paid again the preliminary $1.1 million. Sharpe himself stated throughout this system that Favre had asserted he didn’t know the supply of the funds, Southwick stated.

“On the time Sharpe made the statements, the information on which he was relying had been publicly recognized, and Sharpe had a proper to characterize these publicly recognized information caustically and unfairly,” Southwick wrote.