In a shocking admission during his testimony before Congress on Tuesday, September 24, about his alleged embezzlement of taxpayer funds, Brett Favre revealed that he has Parkinson’s disease.

The 54-year-old former three-time NFL MVP testified before Congress in response to a Mississippi lawsuit alleging that he and hundreds of others stole money intended for welfare programs and pocketed it for personal use. Favre has refuted the allegations and has not faced any criminal charges.

The retired Green Bay Packers star was speaking before the House Ways and Means Committee about Prevacus, a firm that is exploring a solution for concussions for which he has gathered funds in previous years. According to a complaint, Favre apparently persuaded Mississippi politicians to award him $2 million in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds for the firm, which he allegedly utilized for personal advantage.

According to NBC News, ESPN, and Fox News, Favre reportedly told lawmakers, “Sadly, I also lost an investment in a company that I believed was developing a breakthrough concussion drug that I thought would help others. Given my recent Parkinson’s diagnosis, I’m sure you’ll understand why it’s too late for me.

“This is also a cause close to my heart,” Favre explained. “The doctor who runs the company recently pleaded guilty to taking [public] money for his use.”

Parkinson’s is a brain illness that affects a person’s neurological system, producing uncontrollable bodily movements like shaking and making it difficult to communicate, according to the Mayo Clinic. Currently, there is no cure for this condition.

As Congress asked Favre about the Mississippi Department of Human Services’ lawsuit against the longtime Green Bay Packers quarterback and 40 others, the revelation emerged.

According to the Associated Press and NBC News last year, the state’s auditor, Shad White, filed the Mississippi lawsuit in response to an investigation. White found that approximately $77 million in TANF funds from 2016 to 2019 allegedly went to projects led by Favre and others rather than families in need.

Accusations accuse Favre, who has denied the allegations, of conspiring with former Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant to use at least $5 million of the funds to help build a volleyball stadium at the University of Southern Mississippi, his alma mater and the school where his daughter was a volleyball player at the time.

Last year, a Mississippi Today investigation found claims of text exchanges from Favre that appeared to link him to the plot.

In one text conversation, submitted as part of Mississippi’s lawsuit over the TANF cash, Favre reportedly wrote: “If you were to pay me, is there any way for the media to find out where it came from and how much?”

The Mississippi state auditor who initiated the probe stated that Favre also earned $1.1 million in public subsidies to provide motivational speeches that he never delivered.

Favre has claimed to have paid off the debt, but the state auditor claims he still owes $228,000 in interest.