The NFL announced on Monday that it is aware of the emails released by the Justice Department on Friday, which reveal connections between convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and New York Giants co-owner Steve Tisch, involving several women. The league will investigate the situation further.
“The league is aware of the reports and Steve’s response. Our office will look into the matter to understand the facts,” the NFL stated.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell was asked on Monday whether Tisch could face disciplinary action from the league.
“You may be getting ahead of yourself regarding the second part,” he responded concerning the discipline question. “We are going to examine all the facts. We will assess the context and try to understand how that fits within our policy. But let’s establish the facts first.”
When asked to confirm whether the NFL was initiating an investigation, Goodell indicated that the league needed to collect the facts before making that determination.
“I don’t even know the status of all the releases. I understand that 3 million documents were released last week. We’ll continue to pursue any facts that emerge and decide if an investigation is warranted based on those facts,” he said.
Goodell expressed concern about how the implications of this situation reflect on the league, stating, “that’s why we have a personal conduct policy and why we will investigate the facts.”
Tisch’s name appears at least 440 times in the over 3 million documents released. According to files related to Epstein, most of Tisch’s communications with Epstein date back to around 2013.
“We had a brief association where we exchanged emails about adult women, as well as discussing movies, philanthropy, and investments,” Tisch stated regarding Epstein on Friday. “I did not accept any of his invitations and never visited his island. As we now know, he was a reprehensible person, and I deeply regret our association.”
The NFL has fined team owners in the past even when no illegal activities were found.
“Everyone affiliated with the league must avoid ‘conduct detrimental to the integrity of and public confidence in’ the NFL,” states the league’s personal conduct policy. “It is insufficient to simply evade criminal charges in a court of law. We are all held to a higher standard and must behave in a manner that is responsible, promotes NFL values, and is lawful.”
The policy also notes that, “Ownership and club or league management are traditionally held to a higher standard and will face more substantial discipline when violations of the Personal Conduct Policy occur.”
Former owners Jerry Richardson of the Carolina Panthers and Dan Snyder of the Washington Commanders faced fines from the NFL following investigations into workplace misconduct. Richardson was fined $2.75 million, while Snyder faced a fine of $60 million from the league.
Tisch, 76, serves as chairman, co-owner, and vice president of the Giants and has produced numerous Hollywood films, including “Forrest Gump” and “Risky Business.”
Epstein, a wealthy financier, was arrested in 2019 on federal sex trafficking charges. He was found dead in his jail cell on August 10, 2019, while awaiting trial, with the coroner ruling his death a suicide. He faced multiple accusations of sexually abusing underage girls and was previously charged in 2008 in Florida for soliciting a minor for prostitution, resulting in him becoming a registered sex offender after serving 13 months of an 18-month sentence.
Epstein was known for his connections with various politicians, celebrities, and business leaders. He began his career as a financier at Bear Stearns before establishing business operations in the U.S. Virgin Islands. In 1998, he purchased an adjacent 72-acre island called Little St. James for nearly $8 million, where he reportedly conducted his sex-trafficking activities, infamously known as Epstein Island.
ESPN’s Kalyn Kahler, Dan Wetzel, and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
