The investigation of outgoing Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson for claims of sexual harassment will now be done by an outside agency.
“On a Thursday conference call, NFL spokesman Joe Lockhart said that the league will retain a law firm to head up an investigation the league took over last weekend after the Panthers announced they were starting a probe last Friday,” per Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. “Lockhart cited the broad nature of the investigation as the reason to use an outside firm.”
Alper also cited Lockhart in saying “there was no pressure from the league” for Richardson to sell the team.
Shortly after it was revealed that Richardson was being investigated, the NFL began running the investigation. In the hours following Carolina’s Week 15 win over the Green Bay Packers, it became public knowledge that Richardson would begin to sell the team after its season ended.
Richardson has subsequently ceded control to team CEO Tina Becker. The imminent sale of the team has brought potential buyers, such as the duo of hip hop mogul Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs and free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick, as well as former San Francisco 49ers owner Eddie DeBartolo.
It remains to be seen how said investigation will impact the sale of the franchise following the 2017 campaign.