Walsh's lawyer confirms: Walsh has videotapes

[RamOfDenmark]

Matt Walsh's lawyer asks NFL to protect his client on Spygate tapes

By DAVE GOLDBERG, AP Football Writer
February 15, 2008

NEW YORK (AP) -- The lawyer for former New England Patriots employee Matt Walsh said his client is willing to turn over videotapes he made for the team if the NFL guarantees Walsh protection from lawsuits or other legal action.

Attorney Michael Levy said that to date, the NFL's initial proposals are not sufficient protection for Walsh, who is said to have taped the St. Louis Rams' walkthrough practice the day before they played the Patriots in the 2002 Super Bowl. The Patriots won. 20-17.

"The NFL's proposal is not full indemnification," Levy told The Associated Press Friday in a telephone interview from his office at the Washington law firm of McKee Nelson.

"It is highly conditional and still leaves Mr. Walsh vulnerable. I have asked the NFL to provide Mr. Walsh with the necessary legal protections so that he can come forward with the truth without fear of retaliation and litigation. To best serve the interest of the public and everyone involved, I am hopeful that the NFL will do so promptly."

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has said he's offered Walsh a deal whereby "he has to tell the truth and he has to return anything he took improperly" in return for indemnity.

"No one wants to talk to Matt Walsh more than we do," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said Friday.

"But his demand to be released from all responsibility even if his comments are not truthful is unprecedented and unreasonable. The NFL and the Patriots have assured Mr. Walsh's lawyer that there will be no adverse consequences for his client if Mr. Walsh truthfully shares what he knows. Why does he need any more protection than that?"

Walsh, now a golf pro in Maui, did video work for the Patriots when they won the first of their three Super Bowl after the 2001 season.

Goodell said Walsh was not interviewed as part of the NFL's investigation into "Spygate," which involved the NFL confiscating tapes from a Patriots employee who recorded the New York Jets' defensive signals from the sideline during the opening game of the 2007 season.

As a result of that investigation, New England coach Bill Belichick was fined $500,000 and the team was fined $250,000 and forfeited its 2008 first-round draft choice.

Six confiscated tapes and other documents pertaining to the Patriots' taping were subsequently destroyed by the league. Goodell has defended the destruction of the tapes.

Levy, who is continuing to negotiate with the NFL on Walsh's behalf, also objected to NFL security's investigation of his client.

"Sending a former FBI agent to investigate his professional and personal life has not left Mr. Walsh feeling confident that the National Football League simply wants to encourage him to come forward with whatever information he has," Levy said.

Goodell met this week with Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter and disclosed for the first time that the taping may have gone back to 2000, when Belichick first became coach of the Patriots. The commissioner said Belichick told him in their meeting last September that he believed the taping was legal. "We agreed to disagree," the commissioner said.

Specter, the senior Republican on the Senate Judiciary committee, said after the meeting that he would continue to investigate the taping episodes. He has said he also would like to speak with Walsh.

Goodell said he could reopen the investigation.

"If there is new information that is credible, new material that could be credible that would help us, yes, we'll look at it," he said.

But Eric Holder, a partner in Covington & Burling, the NFL's outside law firm, suggested the NFL might remain reluctant to meet Walsh's current terms.

"No responsible investigator would offer blanket immunity to a potential witness without a commitment that the witness will be truthful," Holder said. "Any witness who refuses to make that commitment doesn't deserve immunity."

NFL Football Writer Barry Wilner contributed to this report.

Matt Walsh's lawyer asks NFL to protect his client on Spygate tapes - NFL - Yahoo! Sports

[Keenum]

Should he turn them over to the NFL?

ROGER MAY JUST BURN THOSE

MAKE COPIES OF THE TAPES MR. WALSH BEFORE YOU TURN THEM OVER!!!!!

[Ramer]

Yes, please make copies, lots of them.

[Keenum]

And then put the copies on YouTube

[UtterBlitz]

Walsh better be careful and protect himself against lawsuits and protect any evidence from being destroyed. He probably is the man with the answers.

So he has videos.....it's coming folks.....ready or not. It may be a rough ride.

[r8rh8rmike]

I'm wondering if any evidence Walsh has still matters. Belicheat admitted the Patriots have been taping teams since 2000 and that he thought it was legal. What do we do now Roger??

[general counsel]

"truthful" is subjective in most cases. i dont blame walsh, he should get absolute immunity. As to the leagues comments, who cares if what the guy wants is unprecedented. So is the patriots cheating. Desparate times call for desparate measures.

ramming speed to all

general counsel

[jkramsfan]

this is good and interesting stuff,Goodell is now going to be on the hot seat to do the right thing and not just blow this off which is basically what he did the first time around,those fines and losing the draft pick(the lower 1st rd pick) was a joke.I also have noticed that I now see a lot less Patriots fans talking trash like they were a few weeks ago and I don't see as many jerseys,coats and hats being worn either,maybe they are also starting to realize the way they won those games .

[UtterBlitz]

If this is found to be true, we are going to have a lot of sad fans. I'll even have to feel bad for the patriot fans since they have been believing in a bad coach and supporting a team that has won when maybe they shouldn't have. This is not good news.

[Chris58]

I am always intrigued as to what motivates someone to keep evidence for years after the fact. Witness McNamee/Clemens. Now Walsh, a golf pro in Maui, has tapes from years ago. Did he know it was illegal and kept them as an insurance policy so he didn't go down alone if it ever came to light?

[moloch41]

I'm wondering if any evidence Walsh has still matters. Belicheat admitted the Patriots have been taping teams since 2000 and that he thought it was legal. What do we do now Roger??

Tis true, but he also flat-out denied taping the Rams walkthrough, so if there's tapes of that, then he has some 'splaining to do. I'm pretty sure he'll just say he never authorized it and the NFL will accept that explanation.

[r8rh8rmike]

Tis true, but he also flat-out denied taping the Rams walkthrough, so if there's tapes of that, then he has some 'splaining to do. I'm pretty sure he'll just say he never authorized it and the NFL will accept that explanation.

Yep, that denial of the walkthrough tape comes into play now big time. I hope Walsh and his lawyer have a good case prepared with lots of details to counter the Patriots smear campaign.

[laram0]

Agreed to disagree.... Goodell is a Buffoon!!!!


Also I don't and won't feel sorry for the Patriots fans one bit!!!