NFL Hall of Famer and Mississippi native Brett Favre said Tuesday that he has Parkinson’s Disease.

Favre made the disclosure while testifying before a congressional committee about a welfare misspending scandal in Mississippi.

Favre testified in front of the House Ways and Means Committee that he lost a large investment in a now-defunct drug company called Prevacus that said it was developing concussion treatments. The company improperly received millions of dollars from a state welfare program intended to help needy families.

The 54-year-old Favre said in a 2022 interview that he suffered “thousands” of concussions during his 20-year NFL career that lasted from 1991 to 2010.

Parkinson’s disease is a brain condition that causes problems with movement, mental health, sleep, pain and other health issues. There is no cure and nearly one million Americans are afflicted with the disease.

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

During his opening statement before Congress, @BrettFavre says he's recently been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease.

Full video here: https://t.co/bANW0t3SK6 pic.twitter.com/IFQzqC847M

— CSPAN (@cspan) September 24, 2024

Favre has not been criminally charged, but is one of more than 40 people who have been sued by the state of Mississippi, demanding repayment of money through the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program.

Favre received approximately $1.1 million in speaking fees through a nonprofit organization at the heart of the scandal. He has repaid that money, but Mississippi state auditor Shad White says Favre still owes around $730,000 in interest.

“Even before I was sued, when I was informed that the nonprofit appeared to have improperly used TANF funds, I returned to the State the funds I had received, even though I had provided services to the nonprofit and even though I knew, and I know, I had done nothing wrong. I returned the funds, no questions asked,” Favre said in his testimony.

Mississippi is trying to recover more than $90 million from more than 40 people who received money funneled through the TANF program to a nonprofit group tasked with distributing them. Some, like Favre and former pro wrestler Ted Dibiase, were given speaking fees or money for their charities.

More than $5 million went to the University of Southern Mississippi Athletic Foundation to build a volleyball arena.

Favre’s daughter played on Southern Miss’ volleyball team in 2017 and 2018. He helped the university — where he played college football — obtain funding for the new arena.

Favre testified Tuesday that he did not know that the nonprofit was involved in any shady dealings.

“I wanted to help my alma mater and benefit the community,” Favre said to Congress. “Southern Miss introduced me to the nonprofit to see if they could help with funding. I had no way of knowing that there was anything wrong with how the state funded the project especially since it was publicly approved by many state agencies and multiple attorneys including the Attorney General.”

Favre also accused White and other state officials in Mississippi of targeting him in their investigation to advance their own political ambitions.

“I believe that I got swept up in the civil lawsuit at the instigation of state auditor Shad White, an ambitious public official, who decided to tarnish my reputation to try to advance his own political career — even after he applauded me for returning the funds and said there was no evidence that I knew TANF funds were involved,” Favre said. “There is no evidence because I did not know. Mr. White has shamelessly defamed me anyway based on snippets of text messages which don’t at all mean what he says they mean.”