Will Brett Favre get his day in court? Pat McAfee and his lawyers don’t think things should get that far. They have filed a motion to have the Hall of Fame’s defamation lawsuit against McAfee dismissed.
McAfee is one of several people that Favre and his attorneys have accused of making libelous statements regarding his connection to a Mississippi welfare scandal. McAfee’s motion claims that having to defend himself against these accusations would “unduly burden” his right to free speech.
News broke last year that Favre and Mississippi politicians steered money meant to help the state’s poorest residents to a new volleyball facility at the University of Southern Mississippi.
At that time, McAfee joked that McAfee was a member of the Sticky Bandits from the Home Alone films. He also said that Favre “tied the hands of poor people” and “took money right out of their pockets.”
McAfee’s attorneys argue that “No reasonable listener would have interpreted his comments as actual statements of fact about Favre.” They did add though that even if listeners did view what McAfee said as fact, those statements “would be substantially true.”
