Former Inexperienced Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre mentioned he is been identified with Parkinson’s, a shocking 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 certain you’ll perceive why it’s too late for me as a result of I’ve just lately been identified with Parkinson’s,” Favre instructed lawmakers.
“That is additionally a trigger pricey to my coronary heart. Just lately, the physician, working 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, reminiscent of shaking and issue with steadiness 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 the next danger of a self-reported prognosis of Parkinson’s or parkinsonism, in response to a research revealed final yr within the journal JAMA Community Open.
The research, based mostly 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 had been extra more likely to have a type of the situation.
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 obtained program cash for talking engagements that he by no means made, in response to 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 among the cash.
In his testimony on Tuesday, Favre insisted he did nothing unsuitable and solely later discovered that the cash despatched to him for talking engagements and earmarked for volleyball got here from taxpayers.