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Haraz N. Ghanbari/AP
NBA official Tim Donaghy talks with another official during a timeout during a Washington
Wizards vs. New Jersey Nets basketball game (AP).
NBA official Tim Donaghy talks with another official during a timeout during a Washington
Wizards vs. New Jersey Nets basketball game (AP).
Donaghy Receives Prison Sentence, but Scandal Isn’t Over
July 29, 2008 08:01 PM
Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy was sentenced to 15 months for gambling on NBA games and providing inside information to gamblers.
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Tim Donaghy is the center of a gambling scandal that has tarnished the credibility of the NBA and its officiating.
Last July, the New York Post revealed that the FBI was investigating Donaghy for supplying information to professional gamblers, betting on games he refereed and manipulating their outcomes. Donaghy pled guilty to two felony gambling counts in August and began cooperating with the FBI’s investigation.
Donaghy has insisted that there are other corrupt referees in the NBA and accused the league of fixing games. NBA commissioner David Stern has maintained that Donaghy is a “rogue, isolated criminal.”
The sentencing ends the investigation of Donaghy, but the NBA still must deal with the scandal that has tarnished its image. Many writers believe the league must enact reforms to clean up its image among fans, who doubted the integrity of the NBA’s officiating even before the Donaghy scandal.
The league is awaiting the results of an investigation by former federal prosecutor Lawrence Pedowitz into the league’s officiating. The report was scheduled to be released after the Donaghy sentencing, but it has been pushed back.
There are rumors that Donaghy, who needs money to pay legal fees and restitution, may write a tell-all book similar to Jose Canseco’s “Juiced.” Like Donaghy, Canseco was considered a pariah in his sport, but his book about baseball’s steroid use led to widespread reform.
“I’m hopeful that, at some point, the true facts of this case will be told,” said Donaghy’s attorney John Lauro. “This story has not ended.”
Last July, the New York Post revealed that the FBI was investigating Donaghy for supplying information to professional gamblers, betting on games he refereed and manipulating their outcomes. Donaghy pled guilty to two felony gambling counts in August and began cooperating with the FBI’s investigation.
Donaghy has insisted that there are other corrupt referees in the NBA and accused the league of fixing games. NBA commissioner David Stern has maintained that Donaghy is a “rogue, isolated criminal.”
The sentencing ends the investigation of Donaghy, but the NBA still must deal with the scandal that has tarnished its image. Many writers believe the league must enact reforms to clean up its image among fans, who doubted the integrity of the NBA’s officiating even before the Donaghy scandal.
The league is awaiting the results of an investigation by former federal prosecutor Lawrence Pedowitz into the league’s officiating. The report was scheduled to be released after the Donaghy sentencing, but it has been pushed back.
There are rumors that Donaghy, who needs money to pay legal fees and restitution, may write a tell-all book similar to Jose Canseco’s “Juiced.” Like Donaghy, Canseco was considered a pariah in his sport, but his book about baseball’s steroid use led to widespread reform.
“I’m hopeful that, at some point, the true facts of this case will be told,” said Donaghy’s attorney John Lauro. “This story has not ended.”
Headline Link: Donaghy receives 15-month sentence
District Court Judge Carol Amon gave Donaghy a shorter sentence than the recommended 24–30 months because of his cooperation with authorities. Donaghy’s legal team had tried to argue that his actions were caused by a pathological gambling addiction, but the judge rejected that argument. Afterwards, Donaghy was apologetic. “I brought shame upon my family and my profession,” he said. “I have tried to make amends with cooperating with authorities and accepting responsibility and am seeking treatment for my addiction. I ask that you have faith in me to restore my life and take care of my family.”
Source: The New York Times
Background: The Donaghy investigation
On July 20, 2007, the New York Post reported that the FBI was investigating a referee who fixed games during the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons. It was later revealed to be Donaghy, who turned himself in to federal authorities.
Source: New York Post
David Stern defended the NBA’s integrity and blasted Donaghy as a “rogue, isolated criminal” and described Donaghy’s actions as “an act of betrayal of what we know in sports as a sacred trust.”
Source: ABC News
In August, Donaghy pled guilty to conspiracy to engage in wire fraud and transmitting wagering information through interstate commerce. He admitted to sending tips to professional gamblers, who paid him for correct picks. He also revealed to gamblers which refs would work which games, what their relationships with the players were and whether a player was injured.
Source: The New York Times
In June, Donaghy alleged that the NBA conspired to fix four games, including two playoff games in 2002 and 2005. Referees were instructed not to call fouls on star players and to extend playoff series.
Source: findingDulcinea
Fox News reported in July that Donaghy made 134 calls to referee Scott Foster between October 2006 and April 27. Most of the calls were under two minutes and were made before and after games he bet on. Federal authorities have not made any formal allegations against Foster.
Source: Fox News
Earlier this week, Donaghy’s two codefendents, Thomas Martino and James Battista, were sentenced to one year and 15 months, respectively. The sentences were considered harsh and, according to sentencing expert Douglas A. Berman, it showed that the judge would be “likely to bring the hammer down on Donaghy.”
Source: The New York Times
Opinion & Analysis: What happens next?
Lawrence Pedowitz is currently investigating NBA officiating andthe NBA hopes his report will be made public by October. The NBA hired Pedowitz, a former federal prosecutor, after the scandal broke to access the NBA’s officiating system and suggest reforms. The NBA has already acted on some of Pedowitz’s suggestions, including the hiring of U.S. Army Major General Ronald L. Johnson for the new position of senior vice president for referee operations. Pedowitz has attempted to interview Donaghy, but his requests have been denied.
Source: ESPN
Sports Illustrated’s legal expert Michael McCann answers questions about the case and addresses where the NBA will go from here. He credits the league for hiring Pedowitz and Johnson to reorganize the officiating structure. However, he believes that the league must still investigate Scott Foster to see if he was part of a “broader scheme.” McCann predicts that Congress will not become involved before the November elections, but may call a hearing if the NBA does not clean up its officiating.
Source: Sports Illustrated
Randy Hill of FOXSports.com believes that the NBA will need to implement reforms in response to the Donaghy scandal. “If public scrutiny leads to referee reform, Donaghy could weasel his way into becoming the Jose Canseco of the NBA—unwittingly performing a public service while in the commission of dastardly acts,” he writes.
Source: FOXSports.com
ESPN legal expert Lester Munson believes that no other referees will be investigated by the FBI. Despite a large amount of information provided by Donaghy, the FBI has yet to pursue other charges. “There have been no criminal charges resulting from these allegations because the FBI concluded that no crimes had been committed,” he writes. “The alleged game manipulation may be offensive to fans. It may be unethical. But it did not rise to the level of a federal crime. Other assertions from Donaghy were so old that the statute of limitations had expired, and the FBI did not even investigate them.”
Source: ESPN
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