Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre has hired Donald Trump's former attorney as he continues to fight against allegations of his involvement in a $77million Mississippi welfare fraud scandal.
Favre has signed up Eric Herschmann, the lawyer who represented Trump during his first impeachment trial and was known to be the former President's senior advisor while in office.
Herschmann confirmed to Axios, via Front Office Sports, that he is indeed Favre's lead counsel after his longtime lawyer, Bud Holmes, was relieved of his duties.
Herschmann was reportedly subpoenaed by a federal grand jury investigating the events which occurred in Washington DC on January 6, 2021.
The ex-Green Bay Packer should not be indicted - according to his new attorney - but has a compelling defense if that were to be the case.
'I only agreed to represent Brett Favre after I did my independent due diligence and was convinced that he did nothing wrong,' Herschmann told Axios.
'Brett enthusiastically tried to help his alma mater, a public university, that needed and wanted his help.
'To be clear, Brett had no idea that welfare funds were being used or that others were involved in illegal conduct,'
Favre has not been charged, but has been linked to the scandal to divert $77 million in welfare to various individuals and pet projects, and he personally received $1million speaking gigs that he did not attend.
Although he has repaid the money, he has thus far refused to pay the $228,000 in interest he was charged by the state. Favre claimed last year that he did not know the money he received came from welfare funds. However, a recently surfaced text message from 2017 shows Favre asking nonprofit organizer Nancy New 'is there anyway the media can find out where it came from and how much?'
Holmes told Front Office Sports Thursday that he was no longer representing Favre in the matter. Holmes, who said he was asked to no longer comment on the matter, didn't know the name of the new lawyer or that lawyer's firm.
It was reported last week that Favre's charity - aimed at helping disadvantaged, disabled children and breast cancer patients - donated more than $130,000 to the University of Southern Mississippi Athletic Foundation from 2018 to 2020, per recently surfaced tax documents obtained by The Athletic and ESPN.
It was during this time that Favre was working to finance a new volleyball stadium at the school – a project that has fallen under the microscope amid the largest public fraud case in Mississippi history. Recently surfaced text messages show Favre's alleged efforts to divert $5million in state welfare to the project.
Favre 4 Hope's mission statement says the organization provides for 'disadvantaged and disabled children and breast cancer patients,' but a a sizable portion of donations were used to fund USM sports, according to tax records.