Pat McAfee has filed a motion to dismiss Brett Favre’s federal defamation lawsuit against the YouTube host.
McAfee, a former NFL punter turned sports media personality, was sued by the Packers legend over statements made on his talk show about Favre’s involvement in a $77 million welfare fraud scheme in Mississippi.
Favre has not been charged with any crimes in the case, but he received millions in federal welfare funds, which he later used on a series of personal projects, including a volleyball gym at his alma mater, Southern Miss, where his daughter played the sport of the time.
“Hello beautiful people,” McAfee announced in a lengthy Twitter post. “I have recently filed for dismissal of Brett Favre’s defamation lawsuit against me in Federal Court in the fine state of Mississippi… From the beginning I thought the lawsuit against me was a joke.”
Included in McAfee’s ad was a challenge to Favre: ‘Brett, please donate to the Big Brothers Big Sisters Foundation in Mississippi. Let’s help the next generation of Mississippians together. Let’s give some support to the citizens of your state who may need it a little, and make something positive out of this sad clown show of a meritless defamation suit.’
Pat McAfee (left) filed a motion to dismiss Brett Favre’s federal defamation lawsuit
Pat McAfee’s motion to dismiss the claims Favre is trying to divert from the indictments
Favre has filed defamation lawsuits against two former NFL players turned media personalities, Fox Sports’ Shannon Sharpe and McAfee, as well as Mississippi auditor Shad White, over allegations that he knowingly used welfare funds in those cases. personal projects.
Favre, 53, has not been charged in the $77 million welfare fraud case, which has already led to several guilty pleas, and has repaid the $1.1 million he received for no-shows and performance announcements. radio.
However, in December, Mississippi issued a new $5 million lawsuit as part of its lawsuit against Favre, saying he used anti-poverty funds to pay for the volleyball arena.
Earlier this month, the Mississippi Department of Human Services ordered a state judge to ignore Favre’s request to be removed from the civil lawsuit seeking to recover poorly spent welfare money.
The scandal is the largest public corruption case in Mississippi history and involves the squandering of millions in federal welfare on projects supported by some of the state’s wealthiest and best-connected citizens, including Favre.
Favre’s lawyers, including former Donald Trump attorney Eric Herschmann, have argued that the Department of Human Services is suing their client to deviate from its own negligence for failing to detect the fraud as it occurred. Favre’s defense team has filed a couple of motions urging the judge to fire Favre.
Favre used welfare funds to help pay for a volleyball gym at Southern Miss, her alma mater.
McAfee made a similar counterclaim in his motion to dismiss, arguing that it is Favre who is trying to divert.
‘Favre’s attempt now to divert attention from [Mississippi Department of Human Services’] Highly publicized claims against him should be disapproved and defendants silenced from the media from reporting such claims,” McAfee’s motion, filed Friday in federal court, read.
McAfee wrote in his tweet that he is confident the lawsuit will be dismissed, but added that he and his legal team are “very ready and prepared for the next steps in court.”
Sharpe, who co-hosts a talk show on FS1, has remained mostly silent about Favre’s lawsuit, but White attacked the Hall of Fame quarterback earlier this month, claiming the text messages prove that knew the source of the funds he received.
‘Is it the public perception that I became a spokesperson for various shelters, schools, homes, etc. funded by the state… and I was compensated with money from the state?’ Favre asked in the text message included in Mississippi’s submission and provided to DailyMail.com. Or we can keep this confidential.
As White explained in a Twitter thread on Monday, the text messages are significant because they purportedly show that Favre “knew he was receiving ‘grant’ money meant to benefit people in ‘funded shelters, schools, homes, etc.’ For the state'”.
‘In other words,’ White wrote, ‘the poor.’
Shannon Sharpe (right), who co-hosts a talk show on FS1, has remained mostly silent about Favre’s lawsuit, but Shad White (left) attacked the Hall of Fame quarterback earlier this month.
Although Favre has not been charged, White made it clear that he believes Favre knew about the funds.