Packers hire former White House spokesman Fleischer

The Green Bay Packers have hired former White House press secretary Ari Fleischer to consult on media matters.

Fleischer, a spokesman for President George W. Bush during his first term, is president of Ari Fleischer Sports Communications in New York. Fleischer spoke with the team after their practice July 31, and told The Associated Press that while the meeting wasn't designed to address the situation with Brett Favre specifically, it did come up.

"The Packers do utilize a variety of consultants in the organization across many departments," Aaron Popkey, a spokesman for the Green Bay Packers, said in an e-mail. "Ari was in to talk to the team for a media training session, as we do each training camp, and the organization was impressed with his work. We decided his perspective would be valuable during the run-up to the season."