Brett Favre sues Shannon Sharpe, Pat McAfee for alleged defamation over Mississippi welfare case

Jack Baer
Brett Favre is suing people for calling him a welfare thief. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images)
Brett Favre is suing people for calling him a welfare thief. (Photo by Michael Owens/Getty Images) (Michael Owens via Getty Images)

After years of criticism over an ongoing welfare scandal, Brett Favre filed defamation lawsuits Thursday against Mississippi state auditor Shad White, Fox Sports commentator Shannon Sharpe and popular radio host Pat McAfee, according to documents acquired by Mississippi Today.

Favre's legal team alleges the trio's claims that Favre stole money from poor people to be "malicious lies" and to have tainted the Green Bay Packers great's "good name."

White, who accused Favre in 2020 of taking $1.1 million in federal welfare funds for appearances he never made, has criticized the quarterback in a variety of media appearances and feuded with him on Twitter.

With Sharpe and McAfee, the lawsuits take issue with multiple statements made on their respective platforms. The lawsuit against Sharpe points to a segment on Fox Sports' "Skip and Shannon: Undisputed" aired and uploaded to YouTube on Sept. 14, which came after an explosive Mississippi Today report that featured text messages where Favre asked one member of the alleged welfare conspiracy "is there any way the media can find out where [the funds] came from and how much?"

In the segment, Sharpe angrily states that Favre stole money from the poorest people in Mississippi and had to have known he was doing something wrong:

“You got to be a sorry mofo to steal from the lowest of the low. Mississippi is the poorest state in our country — its citizens. So if they’re the poorest state, Brett Favre is taking from the underserved. You made $100-plus million in the NFL. And to talk about, ‘Well, he didn’t know.’ This is what Brett Favre texted: ‘If you were to pay me, is there any way the media can find out where it came from and how much?’ If you’ve got to ask this question, ‘Is there any way the media can find out?’ you already know you’re doing something wrong.”

Favre's lawsuit claims that Sharpe refused a request to retract and apologize for the allegedly defamatory statement.

The McAfee lawsuit points to a Nov. 30 discussion aired on "The Pat McAfee Show" in which the former NFL punter says any mention of Favre warrants a reminder that he "tied the hands of the poor people and took money from right out of their pockets." It also mentions the following tweet:

As with the Sharpe lawsuit, Favre's team claims McAfee refused to retract and apologize when contacted.

All three lawsuits are seeking punitive damages.

Shad White, Pat McAfee respond to Brett Favre's lawsuits

Shortly after the lawsuit was filed, White's office released a statement to Mississippi Today standing by his claims:

”Everything Auditor White has said about this case is true and is backed by years of audit work by the professionals at the Office of the State Auditor,” White’s spokesman Fletcher Freeman said. “It’s mind-boggling that Mr. Favre wants to have a trial about that question. Mr. Favre has called Auditor White and his team liars despite repaying some of the money our office demanded from him. He’s also claimed the auditors are liars despite clear documentary evidence showing he benefitted from misspent funds. Instead of paying New York litigators to try this case, he’d be better off fully repaying the amount of welfare funds he owes the state.”

McAfee's response was a bit more brusque, implying that he was invoking the Fifth Amendment (which isn't very helpful in a civil trial) with a gif from "Chappelle's Show":

Sharpe has not yet publicly responded to the lawsuit.

The background of Favre's ongoing welfare scandal

The lawsuits are the latest developments in a story that has engulfed Favre's reputation since 2020, when he was first accused by White of receiving $1.1 million in federal funds by way of Mississippi for appearances he never made.

Favre has defended himself by saying he made the appearances and did not know the origin of the money he was paid (the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, which does exactly what the name implies). Favre eventually paid back the money he personally received, though the state of Mississippi continues to seek interest from the sum.

Text messages reportedly emerged that show Favre secretly lobbied former Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant for funds. At multiple points, Bryant explicitly warned Favre that improper use of the funds could be illegal.

The end result was the building of a volleyball stadium at Favre and Bryant's alma mater, Southern Miss, allegedly using $5 million in TANF funds by way of Mississippi and an additional $1.1 million from Favre.

The scandal is much bigger than Favre and has already seen multiple participants plead guilty to criminal charges. He has been questioned by the FBI over the alleged scheme. Favre has not been charged with a crime. He is also still facing a civil lawsuit from Mississippi, which he is trying to get out of, and has seen a public backlash.

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