A former NFL sideline reporter thinks legendary quarterback Brett Favre’s Parkinson’s disease diagnosis is “karma” for his involvement with a nearly $100 million fraud scheme.
Jenn Sterger, who once worked as an NFL reporter and now performs as a comedian, accused Super Bowl champ Brett Favre of sending her illicit text messages and photos back in 2008.
After Favre’s revelation about his Parkinson’s disease diagnosis during his testimony before Congress on Tuesday, Sterger pointed out that what goes around comes around.
Sterger reacted to the news via her Instagram Stories, taking a jab at the Mississippi welfare scandal involving Favre.
JUST got home from a LONG day at the studio. Spent a few hours after @SwingsAndMrs working on a special project. Sometimes when you feel the most lost in life you just have to reclaim your own story. Today I did just that, and I really hope you will watch/give it a listen. pic.twitter.com/vL2oqHxCwK
— Jennifer Sterger (@jennifersterger) February 1, 2020
“PSA. Please don’t send me links to it. I’ve seen it. I can read. I don’t wish bad things on anyone but I know Karma never forgets an address,” she penned on Instagram Stories.
“Imagine being diagnosed with such a terrible disease & not having the resources to fight it (because) some Hall of Fame quarterback stole it? Those are the people that need your attention, support and sympathy,” Sterger added.
“And at least now, his pictures won’t be in focus. Mississippi you deserve better,” her post concluded.
I’m not saying I’m a witch.. but … if I was … #iykyk #mnf #jets pic.twitter.com/w4JuVQYRTJ
— Jennifer Sterger (@jennifersterger) September 12, 2023
The long-time Green Bay Packers quarterback, who had been traded to the Jets towards the end of his career, confessed to leaving Sterger explicit voicemails, but denied sending texts while she was working on the sidelines.
At the time, Favre was fined $50,000 for not cooperating with the NFL’s investigation.
Brett Favre may or may not have Parkinson’s. It’s irrelevant. It’s a play for sympathy. What’s relevant is he was a major player in a welfare scandal. He stole $1.1M from the very poorest people in Mississippi and still owes $739K. pic.twitter.com/Qk3mERI2it
— BigBlueWaveUSA® 🇺🇸🌊🇺🇦 (@BigBlueWaveUSA) September 24, 2024
On Tuesday, Favre made headlines when he appeared before a congressional committee to discuss a welfare spending scandal in Mississippi that he was involved in.
In 2020, the Mississippi Department of Human Services audit claimed over $94 million in Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds were misallocated, bringing national scrutiny to Favre, a Mississippi native and former Southern Miss quarterback.
The audit claims Favre was paid more than $1 million for speeches he didn’t deliver. Additionally, $5 million allegedly went to building a volleyball arena at Favre’s alma mater, which he allegedly facilitated.
Text messages revealed that Favre was working with Human Services executive John Davis and nonprofit director Nancy New, while trying to fundraise money for the volleyball facility.
Both Davis and New were arrested for their role in misusing federal money from the program, which New’s nonprofit was tasked with distributing.
In one particularly damning text from Favre’s to New in August 2017, he wrote, “If you were to pay me is there anyway (sic) the media can find out where it came from and how much?”
Brett Favre tells me “I’m good” after revealing his Parkinson’s diagnosis at a hearing on Capitol Hill. He declined to share when he was diagnosed or discuss his condition any further. pic.twitter.com/vJWfLEjvDm
— Kristen Eskow (@KristenEskow) September 24, 2024
“When this started, I didn’t know what TANF was. Now I know TANF is one of the country’s most important welfare programs to help people in need,” Favre claimed during his Tuesday testimony.
Favre, a Pro Football Hall of Famer, is among over 40 individuals the state of Mississippi has sued, demanding the repayment of misused funds.
Although Favre does not face criminal charges, he has repaid over $1 million in speaking fees funded by a state welfare program and was an investor in a biotech firm linked to the case.
The former Minnesota Viking testified that he lost his investment in the firm that he believed “was developing a breakthrough concussion drug to help others.”
“As I’m sure you’ll understand, while it’s too late for me — I’ve recently been diagnosed with Parkinson’s — this is also a cause dear to my heart,” Favre disclosed.
Favre called for reforming the federal welfare system to prevent fraud in the TANF program.
“The challenges my family and I have faced over the last three years — because certain government officials in Mississippi failed to protect federal TANF funds from fraud and abuse and are unjustifiably trying to blame me — those challenges have hurt my good name and are worse than anything I faced in football,” he noted.
Favre claimed ignorance regarding the payments originating from welfare funds.
Committee Member and California Congresswoman Linda Sánchez asked Favre if he had paid interest on the misallocated funds. Favre responded, “No, I have not.”
Favre concluded his testimony by imploring Congress to pass TANF reform bills.
“I urge Congress to put TANF guardrails in place to ensure that what happened in Mississippi doesn’t happen again,” Favre stated.
“I urge Congress to pass the TANF reforms included in the committee member bills — reforms designed to target funds to those truly most in need, to help low-income Americans find and keep a job, to limit how states can spend TANF grants and reduce wasteful bureaucracy and to protect taxpayer funds from fraud and abuse.”