Legal News

Report: DOJ Probing Whether Rides to World Series Violated Ethics

By Dan Slater

Did the U.S. Marshals Service in Boston assign deputies to drive Fox Sports broadcasters Tim McCarver and Joe Buck between their hotel and Fenway Park during last year’s World Series? The DOJ is looking into it, reports the Boston Globe, which cites as sources “two law enforcement officials and other people familiar with the investigation.”

It’s a matter of ethics, writes the Globe: At issue is whether Yvonne Bonner, the acting U.S. Marshal in Boston, violated ethics rules by allegedly ordering her deputies to function as private taxi drivers for McCarver and Buck. According to the Globe, two deputy marshals — along with a lawyer, Joseph Band, who works for the U.S. Marshals Service in Washington and occasionally does work for Fox — sat in the broadcast booth with McCarver and Buck to watch the Sox defeat the Rockies 13-1 in Game 1 and 2-1 in Game 2. (The Sox went on to win the Series 4-0.)

Bonner allegedly instructed the deputy marshals to use their unmarked cruisers to drive Band and the broadcasters to and from the park as a favor to Band who, the Globe reports, is also listed as a member of the Washington Redskins statistics crew (nice night job!). Investigators are looking into whether the deputy marshals activated their blue lights to cut through traffic around Fenway.

In an interview, Bonner acknowledged that the inspector general’s office is conducting an investigation, but said she was prohibited from discussing it because it is an ongoing matter. “I don’t have a problem with people questioning my decisions; it comes with the territory,” said Bonner, who has been acting U.S. Marshal since December 2006. “I’m not worried.”

Efforts to reach Band by telephone and e-mail yesterday were unsuccessful, the Globe says. Buck and McCarver also could not be reached for comment. “We are unaware of any such investigation” said a spokesman for Fox Sports. “If we are contacted, we will provide our full cooperation.” A spokeswoman for the DOJ’s office of inspector general said the office would not confirm or deny the existence of an investigation.

Nancy McGillivray, a former U.S. marshal in Boston, said deputy marshals are charged with witness protection, transporting prisoners, tracking fugitives, enforcing federal court orders, and protecting judges or other officials that are involved in business that the federal government has an interest in. “If there’s no interest to the U.S. government, then it shouldn’t be happening,” she said.

Photo: Baseball Players Association

Full post as published by Law Blog - WSJ.com on May 02, 2008 (boomark / email).