Pat McAfee Files to Remove Brett Favre Lawsuit to U.S. District Court

There’s been a new development in the defamation lawsuit between NFL legend Brett Favre and Pat McAfee, the firebrand talk show host, former WVU football kicker and punter for the Indianapolis Colts.

Favre filed the suit against McAfee in Lamar County, Mississippi after McAfee ripped the Pro Football Hall of Famer for his alleged involvement in the ongoing Mississippi welfare scandal.

The claim states that the Mississippi Community Education Center (MCEC) paid Favre $1.1 million out of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) fund in return for a public service announcement campaign that never occurred. Favre later repaid the amount, and is not facing any criminal charges in the scandal. Favre also allegedly diverted several million dollars more of welfare funds into building a new volleyball facility at the University of Southern Mississippi, where he played football and his daughter played volleyball at the time.

McAfee has never been one to hold back, and he criticized Favre for his alleged involvement in the scam. Favre’s lawsuit cites statements by McAfee claiming that Favre was a ‘thief…stealing from poor people in Mississippi,’ calling those statements defamatory and ‘outrageous falsehoods.’

McAfee filed a Notice of Removal on Friday, March 24 to have the case removed from the Lamar County Circuit Court to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi.

Per ProFootballTalk (and 1991 WVU Law alumnus) Mike Florio, escalating to the federal court could help McAfee avoid any ‘home cooking’ that could help Mississippi’s favored son, giving him a better chance of fending off the suit.

Contrary to his usual open-book style, McAfee hasn’t said anything on social media about this development in the suit. That might be because he’s busy with a bachelor party weekend for fellow Pat McAfee Show host Nick Maraldo, per the podcast’s official twitter page, or it could be on the advice of his legal counsel.

That Italian in the back is getting married.. this weekend, it is our duty to celebrate him.

Congrats @nickmaraldo.. we love yew paisan 🤌🏼🤌🏼🤌🏼 pic.twitter.com/MMaZzFVx5e

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) March 24, 2023