NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre scored a major legal victory earlier this week.
Hinds County Circuit Court Judge E. Faye Peterson ruled that Favre’s defamation case against Mississippi State Auditor Shad White could proceed when he rejected White’s motion to dismiss the case entirely.
Favre alleges that White “made egregiously false and defamatory statements accusing Favre of ‘steal[ing] taxpayer funds’ and knowingly missing funds ‘designed to serve poor folks,'” according to documents obtained by Front Office Sports.
Despite the setback, Auditor White’s lawyers are clearly looking forward to having the famous gunslinger under oath during a deposition.
“This ruling is a normal part of the litigation process, and we now look forward to discovery and taking Mr. Favre’s deposition,” Mississippi State Auditor spokesperson Fletcher Freeman said in a statement to FOS.
As Front Office Sports notes, two other defamation cases filed by Favre against Pat McAfee and Shannon Sharpe were “settled and dismissed, respectively.”
McAfee settled the case with no exchange of money. Sharpe’s case was dismissed with prejudice.
Favre has not been charged with any crime in the scandal involving the mishandling of millions of dollars in public money meant for Mississippi’s poorest residents. Favre, like all Americans, is innocent until proven guilty.
