NEW ORLEANS, April 23 (UPI) -- The New Orleans Saints Monday vehemently denied an ESPN report claiming General Manager Mickey Loomis eavesdropped on opposing coaches at the Superdome.
The team said it was "seeking all legal recourse regarding these false allegations."
The broadcast report, citing "sources familiar with Saints game-day operations," said allegations had been made to the FBI that Loomis re-wired a listening device in his stadium suite to pick up conversations by opposing coaches during games.
Jim Letten, the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Louisiana, acknowledged to ESPN he was told of the allegations Friday. The sources said the FBI New Orleans office briefed Letten about Loomis' alleged activity.
Greg Bensel, vice president of communications for the Saints, angrily denied the allegations.
"This report is 1,000 percent false. Completely inaccurate," he told WWL-TV, New Orleans. "We asked ESPN to provide us evidence to support their allegations and they refused. The team and Mickey are seeking all legal recourse regarding these false allegations."
Loomis was slapped this year with an eight-game suspension for his role in the Saints' bounty scandal. The NFL says the GM was told about a bounty program that the league had uncovered but failed to halt it.
