Pat McAfee moves to DISJECT Brett Favre’s ‘joke’ defamation lawsuit

Pat McAfee has filed a motion to dismiss Brett Favre’s state defamation lawsuit against the YouTube host.

McAfee, a former NFL player turned sports media personality, has been sued by the Packers legend for making statements on his talk show about Favre’s involvement in a $77 million welfare fraud scheme in Mississippi.

Favre was not charged with a felony in the case, but did receive millions in federal welfare funds, which he then used for a variety of personal projects, such as a volleyball gym at his alma mater, Southern Miss, where his daughter was playing the sport at the time.

“Hello beautiful people,” McAfee announced in a lengthy Twitter post. “A few moments ago, I filed a motion to dismiss Brett Favre’s defamation lawsuit against me in federal court in the beautiful state of Mississippi… From the start I thought the lawsuit against me was a joke.”

McAfee ended his tweet on Friday by referring to the allegations against Favre: “Cheers to all and let’s remember to look out for one another… and not allegedly steal from those who need it most…”

Pat McAfee (left) has filed a motion to dismiss Brett Favre’s state defamation lawsuit

With Pat McAfee’s motion to dismiss the claims, Favre is trying to distract from the allegations

Also included in McAfee’s announcement was a request to Favre: “Brett, bring me a donation to a Big Brothers Big Sisters foundation in Mississippi. Let’s help the next generation of Mississippi citizens together. Let’s support the citizens of your state who may need it a little, and let’s make something positive out of this sad clown show of a defamation lawsuit with no merit.’

Favre filed defamation lawsuits against two former NFL player-turned-media personalities — Fox Sports’ Shannon Sharpe and McAfee — and Mississippi auditor Shad White over allegations that he knowingly used welfare funds for these personal projects.

Sharpe called Favre a “scumbag” on his FS1 show in September and accused the retired quarterback of knowingly stealing $1.1 million in Mississippi welfare funds in exchange for speeches he never gave. McAfee accused him of “robbing the poor people of Mississippi,” while White claimed Favre knew where the welfare money came from.

Favre, 53, has not been charged in the $77million welfare fraud case that has already resulted in multiple guilty pleas, and he has returned the $1.1million he received for missed appearances and radio commercials .

In December, however, Mississippi filed a new $5 million claim as part of its lawsuit against Favre, saying he used anti-poverty funds to pay for the volleyball arena.

Earlier this month, Mississippi’s Department of Human Services ordered a state judge to ignore Favre’s request to be removed from the civil suit aimed at recovering the missed Social Security benefit.

The scandal is Mississippi’s biggest public corruption case of all time and involves millions in federal welfare being squandered on projects backed by some of the state’s wealthiest and most connected citizens, including Favre.

Favre’s attorneys, including former Donald Trump attorney Eric Herschmann, have argued that the Department of Human Services is suing their client to deflect his own negligence in failing to detect the fraud when it occurred. Favre’s defense team have made two motions asking the judge to dismiss Favre.

Favre used welfare funds to pay for a volleyball gym at Southern Miss, his alma mater

McAfee made a similar counterclaim in his dismissal motion, arguing that it is Favre who is trying to distract.

‘Favre’s trying to divert attention now [Mississippi Department of Human Services’] high-profile allegations against him and the silence of defendants in the media should not be endorsed,” said McAfee’s motion, filed in federal court on Friday.

McAfee wrote in his tweet that he was confident the lawsuit would be dismissed, but added that he and his legal team were “very poised and prepared for the next steps in court.”

Sharpe, who co-hosts a talk show on FS1, has mostly remained silent about Favre’s lawsuit, but White attacked the Hall of Famer quarterback earlier this month, claiming text messages prove he knows the origin of the funds received.

“Will the public perception be that I became a spokesperson for various federally funded shelters, schools, homes, etc … and was compensated with federal funds?” Favre asked in the text message contained in the Mississippi filing and DailyMail.com was made available. ‘Or can we keep this confidential?’

As White explained in a Twitter thread on Monday, the text messages are significant because they allegedly show Favre “knew he was receiving “grants” that benefit people in “government-funded shelters, schools, homes, etc.” should”.

“In other words,” White wrote, “the poor.”

Shannon Sharpe (right), a talk show co-host on FS1, has mostly remained silent on Favre’s lawsuit, but Shad White (left) attacked the Hall of Famer quarterback earlier this month

Although Favre has not been charged, White made it clear that he believes Favre knew about the funds

Herschmann, a former aide to Donald Trump who testified against the former President’s Congressional Committee on Jan. 6, told podcaster Jason Whitlock in February that Favre’s defamation lawsuit against McAfee will result in “millions of dollars” in fines .

“If it ruins him, then he’s learned his lesson about not trying to promote yourself by inappropriately and inappropriately attacking someone else,” Herschmann told Whitlock.

Herschmann denied that his client knew the money he received came from funds intended for some of Mississippi’s poorest people.

“Brett didn’t steal from the arms,” ​​Herschmann said to Whitlock. ‘He didn’t do it. And the idea that someone who’s given Mississippi as much as Brett has over the years, and contributed as much and helped as much as he can, the idea that he would do that is really unfathomable.

The former southern Mississippi star is seeking damages and damages from all three, “including damages for injury to Favre’s character and reputation.” He is also seeking unspecified punitive or exemplary damages.