New Orleans Saints: Did General Manager Break a Federal Law?

There were revelations today that the Saint’s GM Loomis had equipment in his possession from 2002 to 2004 that enabled him to listen in on opposing coaches’s radio transmissions during games.

Whoa! After all the Saints have gone through, what does this new revelation portend?

If true, Loomis broke both NFL regulations and federal wiretapping laws.  If proven guilty, Loomis could lose draft picks and be fined by the NFL. But that’s small change compared to being found guilty of wiretapping, which could mean up to five years in a

Wiretapping carries a potential sentence of up to 5 years in prison.

federal penitentiary.

To add insult to injury, during those years (2002 to 2004), the Saints won 12 home games and lost 12 home games. Seems like a lot of trouble to commit the federal crime of wiretapping for such a break-even win-loss record.

There'll be lots of investigators rummaging about, from those in attorneys' offices to those working for the feds.

Could the GM really be found guilty of wiretapping? Yes, but frankly, he’s a fine candidate for probation. So far, no other skeletons have come out of his closet.  There’ll be a lot of investigators — from Loomis’s attorney’s office to the feds — who will be skulking around, sniffing for dirt or ways to freshen up any found dirt.

But even if found guilty, there’s a glimmer of hope for Loomis.  After all, most federal judges in Louisiana are ardent Saints’ fans.

P.S. We’ve noticed a lot of articles refer to Loomis “eavesdropping” however he was tapping into others’ communications using an electronic device, which is wiretapping.

Related articles

• Eavesdropping, the Saints continue to find ways to make headlines (psliplaw.wordpress.com)
• The hits just keep on coming for the New Orleans Saints (bucsnation.com)
• Report: Saints GM Mickey Loomis Could Eavesdrop On Opposing Coaches (tracking.si.com)
• Were The Saints* Even Naughtier? (dailynorseman.com)