Former NFL quarterback Brett Favre disclosed he has Parkinson’s disease during a congressional hearing on Tuesday.

Brett Favre testified before the House Ways and Means Committee on Prevacus, a company making a concussion drug that took $2 million from a Mississippi welfare fund (TANF).

The founder of Prevacus over the summer pleaded guilty to wire fraud and admitted he used the welfare money to pay off gambling debts.

“Sadly, I also lost an investment in a company that I believed was developing a breakthrough concussion drug I thought would help others,” Brett Favre said during a congressional hearing. “And I’m sure you’ll understand why it’s too late for me, because I’ve recently been diagnosed with Parkinson’s. This is also a cause dear to my heart.”

WATCH:

Hall-of-Fame QB Brett Favre announced that he recently was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. pic.twitter.com/dU0RL0nmsH

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 24, 2024

Excerpt from ESPN:

Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre disclosed during a congressional hearing on Tuesday that he was recently diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, a degenerative nervous system disorder that causes parts of the brain to deteriorate and affects movement.

Speaking before the House Ways and Means Committee, Favre spoke about Prevacus, a company making a concussion drug that received $2 million of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds. Favre was the top investor in Prevacus, and text messages show he began asking state officials for help securing funds for the company in November 2018.

Prevacus’ founder, Jacob VanLandingham, pleaded guilty to wire fraud in July, admitting that he used Mississippi welfare money to pay off gambling and other debts.

Favre spoke about his involvement in a sprawling Mississippi welfare case. At least $77 million in TANF funds, earmarked for poor families, were diverted to the rich and powerful, according to a 2019 Mississippi state audit.