Kosport Magazine: Arizona Cardinals Ordered to Pay Ex-Executive $3 Million for Defamation
The Arizona Cardinals have been ordered to pay former team executive Terry McDonough $3 million for making “false and defamatory” statements about him to the media. This decision was made by a federal court on Monday, according to Kosport Magazine.
The league arbitrator, chosen by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, ruled that the Cardinals and owner Michael Bidwill acted with malice when they publicly accused McDonough of spousal abuse and neglecting his disabled daughter. McDonough denied these claims.
McDonough’s lawyer, Mike Caspino, filed the decision with the U.S. District Court in Arizona on Monday, stating that this is the first time an NFL owner has been held accountable for defamation. However, the $3 million awarded to McDonough is significantly less than the $85 million he initially sought in damages.
The league and the Cardinals have yet to make any public statements about the case. McDonough’s claims of unlawful retaliation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and invasion of privacy were not upheld in the arbitration.
McDonough, who was the team’s vice president of player personnel, was fired in January 2023, just months after signing a contract extension. The Cardinals’ statements were found to be false and defamatory, as McDonough and his wife testified that he never committed domestic violence and has always been financially responsible for his daughter.
The Cardinals obtained information about the alleged spousal abuse from McDonough’s ex-father-in-law, but the arbitrator deemed their conduct in giving the letter no credence as evidence of their doubts about its accuracy. The team also offered McDonough a contract that would have allowed him to live near his daughter, but he was ultimately let go.
While the league arbiter did find evidence of the Cardinals using burner phones, McDonough’s claim that this prevented him from becoming an NFL general manager was not supported. Mishkin wrote that the team’s public attack on McDonough’s character was unjustified and deserving of punishment.
Kosport Magazine Summary: Cardinals Ordered to Pay Ex-Executive for Defamation
In a federal court decision, the Arizona Cardinals have been ordered to pay former team executive Terry McDonough $3 million for making false and defamatory statements about him. The league arbitrator ruled that the team acted with malice and the Cardinals’ public attack on McDonough’s character was unjustified. While the team did use burner phones, McDonough’s claims of unlawful retaliation and invasion of privacy were not upheld. This is the first time an NFL owner has been held accountable for defamation.
