Tim Leiweke, who stepped down as CEO of Oak View Group, a Denver-headquartered professional sports and commercial real estate company, following a federal indictment earlier this year that accused him of rigging a bid to build and manage the Moody Center Arena at the University of Texas in Austin, has received a pardon from President Trump.
Trump issued a “full and unconditional pardon” for Leiweke, who was indicted by the president’s Justice Department. CNN, citing input from an unnamed “person familiar with the situation,” reports Leiweke’s pardon was coordinated by Trey Gowdy, a former South Carolina congressman and Fox News host.
While Leiweke was previously critical of Trump, once calling him the “single greatest con man,” he expressed “profound gratitude” for the pardon.
“This has been a long and difficult journey for my wife, my daughter, and me,” he said in a statement. “The president has given us a new lease on life with which we will be grateful and good stewards.”
Leiweke, who also served as president of the Denver Nuggets from 1991 to 1995, was accused of conspiring with the leadership of Legends Hospitality, a competitor, to rig the bidding for the development, management, and use of the Moody Center Arena. The two companies faced a third firm interested in the project. In February 2018, Leiweke and his counterpart at Legends Hospitality reached an agreement with the Legends Hospitality agreeing not to pursue the bid for the arena project with the promise that it would receive the project’s subcontracts. Leiweke’s company ultimately submitted the sole qualified bid.
Leiweke was charged with a violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Act, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $1 million criminal fine. Oak View Group and Legends Hospitality agreed to pay $15 million and $1.5 million in penalties
