Particle.news

Download on the App Store

NFLPA Executive Director Lloyd Howell Resigns Following Conflict-of-Interest and Secrecy Revelations

Federal investigators have opened a review of OneTeam Partners finances after Howell’s conflict-of-interest and secrecy lapses prompted his exit

Overview

  • Lloyd Howell Jr. resigned as NFLPA executive director effective immediately after disclosing a paid, part-time consulting role with The Carlyle Group and a confidentiality agreement that hid a key January arbitration ruling.
  • The NFLPA has engaged law firm WilmerHale to conduct an independent review of Howell’s conduct and decision-making during his two-year tenure.
  • The union’s Executive Committee is set to appoint an interim director as the NFLPA prepares to appeal the arbitration ruling on guaranteed contract money.
  • Federal prosecutors and the FBI are investigating the NFLPA’s financial dealings with OneTeam Partners, the joint group-licensing firm co-founded by the players association.
  • Additional scrutiny over Howell’s expense claims for strip-club visits and an undisclosed 2011 discrimination lawsuit has intensified calls for reforms to the NFLPA’s vetting and governance processes.