MLB, NFL players contacted by federal agents in stunning licensing firm investigation

Yahoo

5 days ago

MLB and NFL pros have been contacted by federal agents as part of an investigation regarding a licensing firm owned by the league's unions, according to reports.
Agents are looking into financial dealings regarding OneTeam Partners, created by the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA), Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) and private-equity firm RedBird Capitals in 2019, per ESPN.
Players are not being targeted by the agents, according to ESPN, and at least three MLBers who are involved with 'union leadership' have been contacted.
The FBI and Department of Labor (DOL) are partaking in the investigation, per The Athletic.
'(OneTeam) is aware of an ongoing investigation of allegations concerning our partners,' it told ESPN in a statement.
'We want to emphasize that OneTeam is not the subject of the investigation and has not been accused of any wrongdoing in any way. OneTeam is fully committed to cooperating with the investigation.'
OneTeam Partners' website claims 'we united Players Associations and elite athletes by giving them the platforms, resources and expertise necessary to maximize their collective value.'
Both NFLPA executive director Lloyd Howell and MLBPA boss Tony Clark are listed on the board of directors, and former NFLPA boss DeMaurice Smith helped found it.
OneTeam Partners paid the MLBPA $44.5 million in 2024 and the NFLPA received $422.8 million over the past five years, per ESPN.
ESPN described the partnership as a 'major financial boon' for both unions.
Union executives told ESPN they had not been contacted, and the investigation is being run by the Brooklyn-based Eastern District of New York.
'We are aware of the investigation and fully prepared to cooperate if the NFLPA is contacted,' an NFLPA spokesperson told The Athletic.
The MLBPA also said to the outlet: 'If the MLBPA is contacted by the government, we intend to cooperate fully with any investigation.'
OneTeam has faced questions before regarding its operations with the NFL and MLB unions.
An anonymous unfair labor practices complaint was filed in 2024 with the National Labor Relations board that alleged 'nepotism, corruption and mismanagement' within the MLBPA, per ESPN.
The complaint alleges Clark 'improperly gave himself & other executives equity' in OneTeam, along with 'inadequate disclosures' about the alliance in the yearly union updates.
The MLBPA denied those allegations, per ESPN.
This past December, Richard Smith, the NFL's outside counsel, reportedly ran an audit to see whether the company has afforded equity options to executive directors of its union partners, including the MLBPA.
The NFLPA audit revealed the union's involvement with OneTeam was 'in compliance with best governance practices,' a source told ESPN.
'(OneTeam) remains steadfast in our commitment to following the best business practices, as has already been determined by the independent audit conducted earlier this year,' it told ESPN. 'We remain dedicated to upholding the highest standards of integrity and transparency in all that we do.'