The US President Donald Trump has pardoned the former chief executive of the entertainment venue company Oak View Group (OVG) months after he was indicted on a Federal conspiracy charge.
‘NBC NEWS’ stated that Tim Leiweke, 68, who remains a shareholder of the company after he stepped down as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in July, expressed his “profound gratitude” to Trump for the pardon.
The Oak View Group, LLC (OVG) is an American professional sports and commercial real estate company based in Denver (US). It manages several sports venues including the 18,300-capacity Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle which was constructed under the company’s supervision. The OVG was formed in November 2015 by Tim Leiweke and his business partner Irving Azoff.
Stated Leiweke, “This has been a long and difficult journey for my wife, my daughter and me. The President has given us a new lease on life with which we will be grateful and good stewards.”
‘NBC NEWS’ further stated that Leiweke was charged during the Trump administration.
A federal grand jury in Texas returned an indictment in July that accused Leiweke of conspiring with a competitor to rig the bidding process to develop the $375 million Moody Center, a 15,000-seat arena at the University of Texas at Austin which hosts major music events as well as basketball and other sporting events. The would-be competitor agreed to stand down in the bidding process in exchange for subcontracts.
Leiweke pleaded not guilty while the Oak View Group (OVG) agreed to pay $15 million in connection with his indictment.
David Gerger, one of Leiweke’s attorneys, said in a statement that the pardon, dated Tuesday (December 2nd), “is the right result and we are happy for our client and his family”.
It’s not clear whether Leiweke or any of his allies lobbied for the pardon.
Trump resumed issuing pardons in recent months after the White House paused and sought to tighten its reviews following concerns that the process had become a lucrative business for lobbying and consulting firms during Trump’s second term.
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