Brett Favre’s Return to Media Duties Comes With Limitations

Brett Favre is joining Jason Whitlock’s weekly show on conservative media outlet The Blaze, but don’t expect to hear the three-time NFL MVP’s thoughts on the Mississippi welfare scandal. 

Favre remains under a gag order in a lawsuit filed by the Mississippi Department of Human Services. He’s among more than 40 defendants in a civil case that seeks to recoup millions of misspent welfare funds.

Former NFL defensive player of the year Warren Sapp will also be joining Whitlock’s “Fearless,” a source confirmed to Front Office Sports. 

Messages left with The Blaze were not immediately returned on Friday. 

The New York Post was the first outlet to report the additions of Favre and Sapp.

In June, attorneys for Favre requested the gag order to be lifted.  

“This false publicity likely already has adversely affected Mr. Favre’s ability to receive a fair and impartial trial,” one of his lawyers wrote in the filing. “The suppression order now prevents Mr. Favre from responding to and trying to mitigate the effect of such publicity and could have the unintended consequence of further tainting the trial against Mr. Favre.”

Lawyers for MDHS alleged Favre knew that a scheme where about $8 million of federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funds funneled to Favre and projects close to him was “illegal”.

Favre has denied the allegations, and he repaid $1.1 million for speeches and appearances he did not perform. He has not been charged criminally.

His links to the scandal led SiriusXM, ESPN Milwaukee and the 33rd Team to sideline Favre last year. Favre also had his endorsement deals with Copper Fit and other brands put on hold. 

In 2017, sexual harassment allegations led to Sapp’s suspension and, eventually, his termination as a NFL Network analyst.